CLIVE | ASSEMBLY ROOMS, EDINBURGH FRINGE
★★★★
“Hugely entertaining, thought-provoking hour of theatre…”
Memories of the isolation of lockdown loom large in this new play from Olivier Award winner Michael Wynne. A piece that could just as easily present as a study anxiety, loneliness or grief, Clive weaves together a mix of themes likely to prove triggering to some while still delivering an hugely entertaining, thought-provoking hour of theatre.
Much of this is due to Paul Keating’s portrayal of Thomas. Working from home, Thomas misses the camaraderie and gossip of the workplace, but is equally happy working from home where he has just his giant cactus, Clive, for company.
A neat freak, he has a place for everything, with everything in its place, in an almost sterile apartment. Working from home Thomas has complete control of his life. He loves his job and the freedom working from home gives him to create his day just as he wants it… until the arrival of a new boss causes his life to start to unravel; new Chief Operating Officer, Naomi, has a hidden agenda and is ruthless in her determination to achieve her goal.
Keating cuts a gentle, fragile character as Thomas. It’s a beautifully precise performance, gentle and easy to empathise with, as he strives to keep his anxiety under control as things escalate.
Despite relying on the odd trope to hammer home a point, Wynne’s script, a searing indictment of the corrupt practices and toxic management techniques employed to alienate, undermine and diminish the confidence and self belief of workers they want to move on for political reasons, rings true and will be familiar to anyone who has ever considered pursuing a case of consecutive dismissal against their employee.
Lucy Bailey’s crisp direction is playful in places, ensuring darker themes never overpower the one-hour running time. Moments of light relief keep the energy high and the laughs coming, never more so than when Thomas’ obsession with the lives of his neighbours in the flats across the canal plays out – a nice ‘Rear Window-esque’ nod to Alfred Hitchcock.
As a piece of Fringe theatre, Clive is more visually pleasing on the eye than most. An effective white and black set, based on Mike Britton’s original London design and complete with a slash of green provided by the towering Clive, it proves the ideal palette for Chris Davey’s aesthetically vibrant lighting.
Full details and tickets HERE
