☆★★★★
Tell It Slant
This may be
slightly off-the-wall but I must mention Frank David for his wonderfully
immersive sound design for Tell It Slant. As I walked to the tube, my phone
rang, and without hesitation, I answered, ‘hello, press office!’
Writer Maev
MacCoille, clearly a seasoned communications professional at some point in her
career, has crafted a fast-paced master class in crisis PR, where ringing
phones are indispensable props. And this is achieved in choreographed spades!
Shamelessly
quoting the PR blurb for the play – surely any PR’s dream, Tell It Slant tells
the story of ‘Dara and Vick who have history. Dara is the veteran press
officer, Vick the rookie struggling through an uncomfortable first day. They
thought the most complicated thing they would be facing was their own feelings
and a tricky news story about cats, but a sudden crisis changes everything’.
Avoiding any
spoilers, this is a serious crisis in a government press office with all the
incumbent bureaucracy. Journalists baying for Boris to visit the floods almost
seem mundane when they are thrown into a life and death incident without any
real detail and, more importantly, answers.
At my performance,
playing Dara and Vick were Joshua Jewkes and Cliodhna McCorley respectively,
supported by Alia Sohail as Sam, the third character at the coal face of PR. This
was an on-pointe ensemble that achieved sharp realism throughout. Joshua Jewkes
encapsulated the dog-eared and fatigued frustration of his seemingly exciting
job - but in reality, simply mundane monotony. Cliodhna as McCorley, poacher
turned gamekeeper, journo turned PR, captured the modified point of view
totally convincingly, giving a performance full of compelling nuance and
credible distinction. Alia Sohail was every press office’s quintessential junior
account exec, consistently upbeat amidst all adversity – a clever, well-observed
insight.
Director
Erica Miller manages the sheer pace of this 75-minute piece with assured skill.
I am unsure of the black-comedy handle because even crisis does tend to have a
few more laugh-out-loud moments, usually followed with a half-hearted apology
for fear of offence. But that’s a minor point capable of resolution.
Tell It
Slant manages, though its detailed nuance, to achieve a mature understanding of
PR, working relationships, politics, and the press. All without plumbing the
depths of a time-honoured standpoint, where everything associated with the art
of the hidden persuader needs to be absolutely fabulous – a clever balancing
act!
Photograph Benjamin Graham
Produced by Merry Spinsters
Tell It Slants plays at The Hope Theatre 25 Feb - 14 March 2020
Produced by Merry Spinsters
Tell It Slants plays at The Hope Theatre 25 Feb - 14 March 2020
7:45 pm
£15/12
Tickets: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/thehopetheatre/tell-it-slant/e-yoaxde
£15/12
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