The Finborough Theatre building 150th anniversary season has begun with two world and one European premieres of new plays and the latest offering is Henry Darke's first full length play Booby's Bay. The young Cornish man was selected as one of the Royal court fifty most promising playwrights and has set the play in his home county. Booby's Bay is a small rural community apparently named after the rather stupid Booby bird that was virtually tame and now one of the Cornish beaches popular with surfers. It is a protest play and the writing shows real promise as it is packed with ideas and themes. The central character, Huck is angry about much of the Cornwall community development and finds himself isolated and in conflict with his friends and family. HIs protests cover overfishing by modern fishing vessels, commercialisation of the town, absent fathers, pollution of the seas, fake news and homelessness. He is a lone voice, the arguments are never fully developed and it difficult to feel sympathy for him, even when we learn about the tragic past that has driven his isolation.
The play over three acts without an interval almost has too much to say which combined with local Cornish dialect and local references makes it hard work at times over the 110 minutes running time and would benefit from stronger comic and light relief elements. Director Chris White has created a breathless race, with some longer speeches delivered without pause or change of tone and even the scene changes being active moments with cast chanting and singing as they reset. Huck returns frequently to chanting Om mani padme hum, the Tibetan Buddhist mantra but we never sense the enlightened awareness he seeks provides the understanding to save anyone, even himself.
