Review: THE POLTERGEIST, A Tramp Production

Photo credit: Martin Photography

Sasha was destined to take the art world by storm at the age of 15. Pop stars wanted his paintings and he was lined up to do commissions for a gallery that would make him a millionaire. Fast forward several years and he lives in a small flat in East London with his boyfriend who’s out of work and working at a stationers, where did it all go so wrong for him?

Written by Philip Ridley, Joseph Potter takes centre stage in this one-man play, expertly playing our protagonist Sasha and all of the other characters. 

Sasha and his boyfriend Chet are to attend his niece’s 5th birthday party, and the piece seamlessly switches between what he wants to say and what he actually says; with his internal monologue being predominantly sharp and nasty.

The writing is creative and clever. Potter’s performance allows you to differentiate between all of the characters he plays; from the outwardly successful older brother, cliché spouting sister-in-law, supportive boyfriend, and the neighbour who remembers everything, amongst other party attendees. 

The characters are economically and believably sketched by Ridley. We see the characters as Sasha sees them through not-so rose tinted glasses, making most of them appear unlikeable and ultimately you end up feeling sympathy for the protagonist even though on the whole, he too is unlikeable, bitter and disagreeable. 

Throughout the course of the play, you learn that Sasha is addicted to pain medication, he has somehow managed to black out key moments from his past and he catastrophises a lot, wanting something bad to happen to him and sometimes to those that he is speaking to as well. 

Directed by Weibke Green, it is entirely Potter who controls the pace and mood of the performance, showcasing a commitment to the piece that is deserving of the standing ovation that he would absolutely receive if it wasn’t for these strange times we are currently living in.

The piece is excellent and fully deserving of a run in a theatre when they reopen. One-person shows can occasionally struggle to hold the attention of an audience for its duration, in comparison to other types of performance, however this one excels and the pace of the performance is genuinely surprising and impressive. 

Presented by Tramp, The Poltergeist was scheduled to be staged at Southwark Theatre before lockdown closed theatres down. The piece remains available to stream until 28 February with tickets available here.

****’ Four and a half stars

Reviewed by: Emma Littler