Ents: Arts

Review: No Exit

By Emily Hansed
Published: 17/04/2009

This is not how we, or the characters in Sartre’s famous play, imagine hell to be. The curtains parted to reveal a spacious and open set. The walls were a very pale cream, with a pattern of black flowers, and the brightly coloured furniture was arranged neatly around a grey mantelpiece.

By undermining expectations as soon as the play began, the director established the uncertain and entertaining exploration of what hell means and how it is our own minds that punish us. The entire performance remains in this room, the valet bringing a total of three people, where they are to be trapped for eternity.

Such a simple and bright room seems to provoke a deeper paranoia in the first character to appear, Joseph Garcin. Played by Luke Holbrook, this is a man riddled with guilt for his acts of cowardice and betrayal of his wife, yet he remains in denial for these actions until his own tormented mind, and his companions, force him to face the truth.

Holbrook’s was, at times, a humorous performance, showing the passions and frustrations embedded in Garcin. The moments when Garcin revealed his inner turmoil were therefore even more enthralling, as Holbrook allowed emotion to power through, leaving a deep impression on us and the other characters.

Holbrook, and the actress playing Inez Serrano, Selina Thompson, worked impeccably together, partnering Garcin’s volatile temperament with Inez’s infuriating calm. Thompson took her time over her lines, directing them at the others with confidence, clearly enjoying her open cruelty.

Another example of strong direction was the visible build up of tension in this character, remaining forcibly stable throughout the other characters’ explosions of guilt, until, unable to compose herself, Inez gives several powerful outbursts of malicious torment against the other two. The faultless characterisation of the performance paired with the strong actors created a tremendous experience.

There is no doubt, however, that Lydia Aston’s performance as Estelle Rigault completely stole the show. As soon as she entered, there was a change in energy on stage with some refreshing comedy. The ridiculously posh voice and spoilt nature of Estelle created a perfect contrast with Inez and Garcin.

Initially seeming untroubled by her fate in hell - apart from the unattractive upholstery - she simultaneously infuriates and intrigues her companions. Aston’s characterisation moves the audience to realise Sartre’s message, “hell is other people”, as she unintentionally frustrates the others and finally becomes manipulative, playing the characters against each other.

This front was dispersed as we finally learn why Estelle is in hell, after repeated claims that she doesn’t know. Her horrific actions of killing her illegitimate child to avoid social disgrace are revealed with an emotionally driven, shrill and shocking delivery. We feel the guilt derived from this and the subsequent suicide of her lover, and empathise with the sudden disturbing release of this secret.

Ben Williamson succeeded in giving us a weird and unpredictable performance as the Valet, with some amusing dialogue between him and Garcin, but he could have done even more with this, giving hell’s new arrivals even more reason to feel paranoid and threatened.

This production could barely be faulted; some of the lines were a little rushed, perhaps. Nonetheless, the highly strung characters were certainly felt. Throughout the main body of the piece, there was a perfect balance of humour and unsettling drama to leave the audience uncertain whether to laugh or despair at the final realisation; they are to spend eternity together, and they’d “better get on with it”.

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