Review: WINDFALL, Southwark Playhouse
Photo credit: Pamela Raith
Following a critically acclaimed New York run earlier this year, Windfall has arrived at Southwark Playhouse in London for five weeks only. A creative collaboration between writer Scooter Pietsch and director of the international hit The Play That Goes Wrong, Mark Bell, focusing on how the prospect of winning the lottery affects a group of co-workers - you can already imagine the kind of bizarre, hilarious, push-the-boundaries show you’re walking into and the kind of big personalities you might be greeted with.
Think of all the things you imagine doing and saying but could never act on, this show goes there. Pietsch has essentially made a play out of intrusive thoughts. It is explicit and surreal, eventually featuring the kind of primal anger that is expected in people who have been trapped on a desert island together for years, nothing to lose, starting to get selfish, but the only trap here is the path’s cut off by, quite literally, giving your all for a win.
It takes some time to get to that point, however. The show begins in a more natural state. Act One, in the most brutal terms, is nothing all that special. The darker side of things is hinted at throughout in a way that we can laugh at the ridiculousness of but by the end of Act One, we are left completely unsure what these characters are actually capable of, conveyed in the most brilliant simplicity. Establishing ridiculousness and relatable comedy early on creates an interesting dynamic where, in Act Two, when things start to kick up multiple notches, it is possible to hide behind the phrase ‘they’re only human’.
The stage is dressed by a really impressive cast, each role clearly a cog in a well-oiled machine. Although at times cast members could be prone to a kind of verbal double take that takes us out of the believability of the piece for a split second at a time, delivery is all together very impressive. Every change in emphasis, pace, facial expression and body language is carefully chosen and clearly well prepared and rehearsed. The group is cleverly made up of classic archetypal characters, as is aesthetically emphasised in their costumes designed by Rachel Stone, each contributing their own special brand of hilarity. The relationships between the characters are very much forefront as the play progresses too.
Hannah, played wonderfully by Audrey Anderson, is a big highlight of the show. She is a character who really stands out, who grabs your attention and does not let go the entire duration of the play which, in a play like this, with the cast it has, is no mean feat.
Joanne Clifton’s character, Jacqueline, at certain smiling moments, in the subtle twang of the accent or simple conduct of the character, is reminiscent of her musical theatre roles, but in every other way completely different to anything we have ever seen her do before. It is a treat to see her explore this new vein of performance so well and fall so comfortably into such a smooth cast.
The relatable comedy of the workplace lays a foundation of TV meets theatre. Then, upon meeting the boss, Glenn, played by Jack Bennet, sarcastic and sardonic humour is introduced, a new level on the laugh-o-meter for the night. Towards the end of the show, the ridiculousness goes up and the rules of decorum go down as we fall into a repetitive structure which results in some hilarious moments. In the true fashion of a Mark Bell show, the audience is constantly wondering ‘what else could possibly go wrong?’ as potential ending after potential ending plays out.
As the audience begins to accept that nothing is off the cards and plug in to how the characters are thinking, an atmosphere arises where a single look results in an eruption of laughter from crowd. We, as flies, remain safely on our wall watching the chaos as the spiders entangle themselves in their web of deception and everything that could possibly happen happens.
If shock were a spectrum, Windfall hits every point on it. At its peak, moments of gore, where you can’t help but raise your hands to your face or cower back in shock with a grimace, have the audience audibly queasy.
Brilliant set design, also by Rachel Stone, helps the performance space to truly become the office, taking on all the dramatic possibilities and comedic flourishes of a drawing room play to great effect while the audience is quite literally outside looking in. The old cliché of breaking the fourth wall has been thrown to the side, we are the fourth wall - and the second and the third. This is a play which asks most of its actors to always remain on stage. With nowhere to hide and eyes on you from all but one direction, background acting is extremely important but, for some, is a little unconvincing.
Direction by Mark Bell works beautifully in filling that space. At all times the cast is spread across the floor in inspired formations, seizing opportunities here and there to physically demonstrate the coming together and the opposition starting to happen between the characters.
Towards the end, an unexpected message emerges, very much backed up by the events we have just seen unfold. As a piece, Windfall can act as a clever look at how, whilst brutal honesty becomes the villain in our minds, more damage could be done hiding secrets and feigning a smile.
A rollercoaster of shock and awe.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Louisa Clarke
Windfall plays at Southwark Playhouse until 11 March, with further information here.