Distance from the Event
Samuel Beckett Theatre
***
Collapsing Horse Theatre's new production is a noir-style thriller set in the future. Aiming for a suitably timeless aesthetic, it borrows heavily from the gumshoe elegance of the pulp-fiction genre and sets it within the cool indifference of Bladerunner-style scenography (perhaps a little top liberally – Vangelis deserves a credit for the soundtrack here, too).
Two detectives, John (John Cronin) and Melanie (Emily Johnson), are investigating the death of Spillane (a deft hat-tip to the master of the pulp genre), who was found with a chip embedded in his head that forced him to clip himself, among others. Behind all this is lubricious art dealer Des (a mercurial Karl Quinn), who flips between servile urbanity and raging fits of gangster pique.
This is an ambitious production by Collapsing Horse, and lighting, design and direction work furiously to buff their cool vision of the future into a seamless, synthetic whole. Unfortunately, too many plot strands and protagonists are packed in, and as the play progresses, central characters get submerged and superfluous elements are shifted centre stage. This is a play bursting with ideas and influences; but a lack of focus means none assert their authority over the urban sprawl.
Until Sept 21