In a Forest, Dark and Deep is the latest work from American playwright Neil LaBute. Fortunate enough to snaffle a day seat ticket on the morning of the performance I found myself on the front row of the stalls last night, a perfect spot in the Vaudeville Theatre which must house one of the lowest stages in London’s West End.
Set on a dark and stormy night, the play starts with Bobby (Matthew Fox) making his way to a log cabin which is owned by his sister Betty (Olivia Williams) under the impression he is there to help her clear out the contents – the psychological thriller that follows is a tale of sibling rivalry, laced with dark comedy.
The audience look into an impressive set designed to show the inside of the remote cabin, a two-level and sizable space. Lightning and thunder add to the realism of the overhead storm as they accompany the evening’s proceedings, as does the water running down the huge windows that arch up high to the roof of the set.
A running time of one hundred minutes with no interval, nor set changes makes the performances of the two actors crucial in keeping the audience engaged – something which both managed to achieve in a display that’s captivating and believable.
Williams’ Betty is intriguing and enticing, evidently more educated than her sibling her career path has seen her work through the college system as she finds herself a college lecturer. It is not alluded as to what Fox’s Bobby does for a living, although his dress and general demeanour suggest he is more than likely a blue-collar worker.
Without wanting to spoil the story, the two on stage work extremely well together; the script, despite the conclusion proving a little bit foreseeable, is believable and the lines given to both are natural, strong and occasionally dark-humoured. There are profanities at times, but not without reason and they do add to the realism of the piece.
It’s an absorbing tale that the audience are told; invited into Betty’s home and given the opportunity to discover and understand a relationship between siblings as they find out more about one another; probing questions, honest answers and discoveries that are perhaps more revealing than expected.
There was an hour of questions and answers with the director and stars after the final curtain fell which by all accounts was very well received and the actors duly appeared after proceedings outside the stage door to a clutch of autograph hunters. Whilst Matthew Fox appeared a little agitated, perhaps understandably as this is his first West End run, Olivia Williams was extremely engaging; comfortably chatting to the gathered crowd, signing various memorabilia and posing for photos.
In a Forest, Dark and Deep will receive it’s World Premiere production on 14 March 2011, and will run for a limited season up to and including 4 June 2011 at the Vaudeville Theatre, London. A video trailer, tickets and further information are available from the play’s official website, http://www.inaforestdarkanddeep.com.