I was almost speechless when I left the theatre after seeing Sally Hawkins and Rafe Spall deliver a stunning tour de force in Constellations (a new play by Nick Payne) last week.
It was theatre at its very best – funny, dramatic, interesting and utterly compelling. I was totally absorbed, intrigued and fascinated from the first minute. I must visit the theatre three or four times a month, but this production outshone just about everything I have seen for a very long while.
The set is interesting – an array of suspended balloon-like structures that light up and flash at various moments through the production – forming a non-intrusive but relevant back drop which adds to the drama as it unfolds.
But the main focus is always on the two players – perfectly cast - one playing a bee keeper, the other a space physicist. The clever premise is that we live in a “multiverse” where – at any point – we can alter the course of our lives on the inflection on a word or whether we speak out that thought that is front of mind, as there are infinite possibilities.
By repeating various starting points – whether a casual meeting at a BBQ or a proposal or an argument – and considering just some of the many ways each conversation could continue, it shows beautifully the fragility of our lives.
I doubt it would have the same power on the screen. Because seeing that the actors have rehearsed and remembered and can replay perfectly the quick fire alternatives, with lightning speed switches of emotions and outcomes from similar points, is amazing.
I wasn’t a great fan of Sally Hawkins in Happy-Go-Lucky but I liked her in Made in Dagenham. I was surprised at all the other credits to her name. And Rafe Spall, despite his many appearances on TV and in Hollywood blockbusters, looked absolutely at home on the stage.
This was a truly brilliant piece of theatre. Stunning. Two very bright acting phenomena and a real star of a play. All I can say is that you should try very hard to get a ticket – but it is selling out quickly so you’ll have to hurry. Words almost fail me – except to say it’s utterly brilliant.
