The piece's initial reviews had been positive. However, I've been wary of glowing reviews since going to see Lazarus (widely loved) and hating it, so I wondered how good Hare's new work was actually going to be.
Thankfully, The Red Barn lived up to expectations, and them some.
The central performances by Strong, Debicki, and Hope Davis (God of Carnage) are beautifully understated, and the gradual development of
Donald Dodd (Strong), as he becomes aware of his lack of agency in the
world is a fascinating thing to watch unfold. Strong's communication of
Dodd's simmering jealousy underpins the whole piece, and the performance
gives coherence to the fragments of the unfolding story.
The stand-out feature of this production, however, is the
staging. It is a prime example of the National pushing what it is
possible to achieve on the stage, which they have the clout to do. The
cinematic nature of the rapid scene changes is stunning to behold, and
the audience's dialogue on the way out of the theatre revolved around
how some of the set changes were actually possible. It is a triumph of
form.
This success of execution makes The Red Barn a
must-watch. To see scenes on a stage transition between a blizzard and
an interior is a marvel of stage craft, and utterly unlike anything else
around at the moment. With this in mind, I would suggest you get
yourself down to the Lyttelton before The Red Barn closes, because it truly lives up to the hype.
The Lyttelton, National Theatre until 17th January
