Written by Tom Basden, this is a reworking of Kafka's The Trial, brought into the twenty first century. K gets a shock when his sushi order is not only half eaten, but delivered by two sinister characters in dark glasses. He's told he's under arrest, made to sign a paper, but then allowed to continue with his life. Or not. Suddenly his daily routine becomes a struggle when his mobile is block, his access to cash restricted and isn't someone following him everywhere? He tries to find out what he's charged with, why he's been targeted, but gets tangled up in a jungle of bureaucratic rules, computer options and looping phone messages. Even his lawyer seems to be more against than for him, and the further he tries to take matters into his own hands the less he understands. Is there any way out of his nightmarish situation?
The company is from the sixth form of Kingston Grammar School, so it's a very young (and very large - 19 in the programme) cast. Most of them flit in and out of the action, with a few playing double roles. But at the centre of it all is the eponymous victim, who hardly leaves the stage for the whole 90 minutes, and Jamie Bisping carries it off well, suitably confused, frustrated and concerned. The quality of the other performances varies, but there was nobody who looked out of place. Lili Macleary needs to project more, but she was the only one whose lines got lost. In the funniest scene, where K goes to make a complaint, Finn Stammers and Hanna West are excellent, while Teddy Coward is clearly having a lot of fun as the obese, creepy lawyer, and Charlotte Le Feuvre stood out as both the Computer, endlessly providing useless options, and Bear, the glazier in the know. Credit too to a stage crew that had a lot of scene shifting to do, and kept any breaks in the action to a minimum.
A more mature cast could probably imbue the script with greater menace, fear and rising tension, but that doesn't make this a bad performance. The hour and half went quickly and it's a very enjoyable and thought provoking production. Definitely worth your time.
Joseph K is on in C Venues Chambers Street at 10.30 until 26 August.
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