A man, a woman. Clad in shades of grey. Sat in the circle thy will never leave, she writing in a notebook, he reading a paperback. He speaks, she responds. But not as expected, and the conversation escalates, as a seemingly innocent enquiry from him spirals into doubt and uncertainty.
This a play about uncertainty, about the problems we have in never really being able to understand our fellow humans. Is the woman a doctor? Policewoman? Have the met before or not? Is he criminal or patient or passive bystander embroiled in a situation he doesn't understand?
What is apparent is how thin are the borders surrounding amnesia, dementia, being a subject of psychological torture, and the simple confusion of déjà vu. This à drama to provoke thought, without dictating answers.
Compelling performances, other verbal and physical from Megan Tyler and Simon Donaldson, and a script, by Peter Arnott, that twisted and turned and circled back through questions and doubts , made for a fast paced fifty minutes, and left me wanting more. There's a lot to be gained from having questions posed to which you have to figure out your own answers. A fascinating addition to the Play, Pie, Pint canon.
But I also recognise this is a very marmite experience. Very obviously loved it. Others might well feel alienated by the lack of any clear plot or resolution. But if you can retain an open mind, and enjoy having your horizons challenged, Variant is a must-see.
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