After a much-awaited re-opening, The first show to open the newly refurbed Donmar Warehouse was always going to carry tremendous pressure to set the bar for future shows to follow. Cordelia Lynn’s ‘Love And Other Acts Of Violence’ not only opened it tremendously but set the bar at such a height that productions to follow will struggle to raise it.
Basia Binkowska’s staging first and foremost, is incredibly clever. A simple wooden flooring surround by dirt transforms later into a much more detailed design. Suspended above and unbeknown to us the surprise is clever and elevates the story to a whole new level when the scenes change.
As for the show itself, a young Jewish physicist (Her - Abigail Weinstock) and a left-wing poet (Him/man - Tom Mothersdale) who meet at a party may sound like the start of a bad joke… but as society collapses around them they struggle with their relationship and the demise continues to become more evident throughout the show, it’s quite clearly no laughing matter.
