Villain, Interrupted ~ [The Etcetera Theatre] ~ Review

[page_on_stage]

Gina is a therapist with high hopes of helping troubled and vulnerable people find peace within themselves and discover their place in the world. Recovery and rehabilitation are her goals, but she may have bitten off more than she can chew when her work leads her to a facility for those with dangerous superpowers and she finds herself running therapy sessions for super villains.

Patients in her regular group sessions are Ink Lord, who can bring to life the things he paints, King Cobra, a drug baron who produces her own high-inducing venom, Lady Injustice, two students with opposing political ideals fused into one body, and Kevin who… well, nobody is quite sure what Kevin does. Armed with a notebook and a positive attitude, Gina refuses to believe that her patients were born bad and does everything within her power to make these over-powered convicts see the good in themselves, even when no one else can.

‘Villain, Interrupted’ is an absolute delight from start to finish, a humorous and snappy black comedy returning to that age-old question of nature versus nurture, exploring the ambiguous morality of incarcerating people for what they are rather than what they do. Effortlessly quick and witty, ‘Villain, Interrupted’ is riotous good fun packed full of high energy escapades and brimming with human warmth. Reminiscent of shows like Misfits and The Umbrella Academy, this is a must see for anyone who considers themselves a fan of tongue-in-cheek superhero stories.

Featuring scenes including a prison riot and a magical super powered attack on an art gallery, this is a staging challenge Dolls in Amber, the company behind ‘Villain, Interrupted’ met head on and passed with flying colours (literally!). A simple solution to a difficult undertaking is found in the form of an overhead projector and the clever use of acetate sheets. All the craziest action is projected onto a white screen, providing the full comic book effect and a wonderfully quirky aesthetic complete with speech bubbles, location changes, and visualised sound effects. This device is also utilised to provide an entertaining split screen effect at times, allowing the audience to see what’s happening in Gina’s imagination at the same time as what’s happening in reality.

There would be no way of pulling off this play without a seriously talented cast, and thankfully that’s exactly what the company of ‘Villain, Interrupted’ is comprised of. Emma Richardson plays Gina, looking for all the world like a well-meaning primary school teacher, and bringing an endearing, kooky, energetic positivity to this character, as well as, at times, a disarming vulnerability. The rest of the characters are played by an ensemble comprised of Sofia Greenacre, Freddie Stewart, and Francesca Forristal, whose multi-rolling talents carry this multifaceted show with distinctive characterisation and high energy physical theatre. Forristal’s ability to switch so effortlessly between being bumblingly comedic and deliciously sinister is a testament to her skills. Stuart’s performance as Ink Lord is layered with depth, both frightening and sympathetic, whilst Greenacre juggles the largest collection of roles with nimble dexterity and a great sense of timing.

What makes ‘Villain, Interrupted’ work so well is its consistency and awareness, both in tone, style, and pacing, no easy feat when telling such a big story in such a small space. This is a perfect example of how a little imagination can go a long way. If there’s one thing to take away from ‘Villain, Interrupted’ it’s that in theatre nothing is impossible. For a fun, bonkers, utterly spellbinding play with a world you can get fully immersed in then look no further than ‘Villain, Interrupted’.


Villain, Interrupted ~ [The Etcetera Theatre] ~ Review
★★★★☆