The Cut

By Robert Iles - 12th Apr 2006

Mark Ravenhill's play, set in an indistinct time and place, is a striking look at change and tradition in society. Things required by one generation can become the contentious issues of the next and reviled by a third - yet the acts themselves don't change and whilst society may change as a whole the individuals within it may find themselves suddenly outsiders. The play concentrates on a society where The Cut was clearly once a required, or at least revered, tradition but which has already become contentious - the man who does The Cut doesn't even admit what he does to his own wife. Then one day, the man who does The Cut, who is perhaps coming to terms himself with the fact that its time is passing, has his life thrown into turmoil but a client who still sees it as a revered and desirable step - a revelation that in the end damns The Cutter in the eyes of sicuety but perhaps saves his own soul.

If all this sounds a but heavy then don't worry, the play, and this production, are not. Presented in a superb set (design by Paul Wills) powerfully lit (originally by Paule Constable) and reminiscent of Metropolis or 1984, this production extracts the maximum from the script. The opening section is, in fact, directed by Michael Grandage at huge pace and provides a powerful contrast; the comedy of the writing against an austere backdrop. The plays edge quickly comes to the fore though as The Cutter, Paul (Ian McKellen) tries to confront his fears, his family and finally his future.

The acting, as one would expect, is superb but the main moments that will stick with me are the scene changes and the eating of the dinner ... both are moments of pure modern theatre; sparse, heavily influenced by film techniques and thoroughly engrossing. The main downside is the length of the play - around 105 minutes with no interval, squashed as I was besides a man who really should have paid for a seat and a half I started to become physically uncomfortable part way through and the restlessness of the audience implies I was not alone. I can;t see an easy solution as I wouldn't want to cut (!) a single line or miss a single scene change ...