Following on from our taste of the Donmar from the King Lear viewing earlier this year, we were so excited to get some much-coveted tickets to this amazing theatre. As a birthday gift to one of the gang, we all benefitted last week by going to Harold Pinter's Moonlight.
This was not your typical festive-cheer lark but rather a poignant exploration of family, madness and death. Our enthusiasm to experience the theatre was not to be swayed- a trip to this tiny space is enjoyment enough.
The play itself proved to be angst-ridden glimpse of a family in despair. You couldn't help but wonder throughout how the parents and their three children came to this point in their lives, and in their relationships. The past weighs heavily in their interactions but at every stage we were kept in the dark.
As a member of the audience you were searching to understand the root of tragedy that is left so consciously unexplained. This uncertainty combined with the intense emotion was heightened by the intimacy of the space (sitting in the front row, our knees were inches away from the actors at one point).
Just at the moment when you felt clarity would dawn and perhaps there would be some release, the play comes to an end. After a brief hour and a half you were left in a limbo trying to figure out the fate of the family. On reflection, this was a masterstroke on the part of the playwright as it mirrors the turmoil each of the characters feel.
So wow, not a lighthearted way to spend 90 minutes but nonetheless enjoyable. I would say don't stray toward Pinter if you're feeling anything in the way of melancholy... but rather in the mood for a good post-show dissection over a drink having been release while its still daylight!
The Donmar is a gem in the West End...I look forward to the no-doubt six month wait 'til I can finally get a seat in there again.
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