Review: Next to Godliness
New Theatre’s latest production, Next to Godliness, is quite literally a bloody mess!
Ever notice how men will often get up from a table after dinner and leave the clearing up to the women? Well, apparently the same thing happens when men go on a killing spree. At least, that’s what Alastair Brown suggests in his Silver Gull Award winning play, Next To Godliness, now playing at the New Theatre.
The action opens with a violent and gory scene, an apparent gangland massacre. Four male bodies lie in pools of blood. Moments later two women enter, one older and a little surly (Sophia), the other decidedly younger and more animated (Erin). They are specialist cleaners and are there to ensure that the crime scene and any evidence it ever existed completely disappear.
Alas, as the women begin scooping up brain matter, one of the bodies sits up. The man is badly injured but alive, and what’s more, he has a gun, and what’s even more, he says he is a policeman. Given that the women are employed by the bad guys, this presents an inconvenient, potentially lethal situation for them.
Meanwhile, the scene switches, with impressive smoothness, to an office where a well-dressed woman, (called Ferryman we later learn), is sitting at a desk typing on a lap tap. She reads aloud; she is typing a suicide note. After stumbling a few times, she pulls a man out from under the desk. He has been tied up and gagged, his sharp suit and meticulously groomed facial hair indicate he is a man of high status and wealth.
Both these scenarios resolve into comical twists and unexpected dramatic turns before they merge into the same narrative. Too much detail will give away spoilers.
Brown explores a variety of ideas in Next To Godliness: gender stereotypes, ethics, personal motivations. While it is clearly a black comedy, the play poses some very intense moral propositions worthy of a vibrant post-play, over-coffee/beer discussion.
The writing itself is a little uneven. Not all the jokes land, though those that do evoke audible laughs from the audience. The narrative pace slumps a little at times. This may be due to Brown’s re-use of three of the dead gangsters as sort of a Greek chorus. They feel more intrusive than anything else, especially since they quote ancient literature which makes it hard to connect what they’re saying to what’s happening on stage.
The set design is stark and functional, in a good way. It allows us to focus on the dialogue and characters while also creating just enough atmosphere. This is another impressive production by New Theatre. A little confronting in its subject matter, but with some well-written comedy bits that help relieve the horror.
Next To Godliness
📍 New Theatre, 542 King St, Newtown
📅 Until October 31st
