Disco Pigs

THEATRE REVIEW

Disco Pigs at The Trafalgar Studios, London

“a visceral, in-your-face, angry play”

There comes a point, once in awhile, when you’re watching a play and you realise you’ve been daydreaming and you glance at those around you for reassurance - are they still rapt by the show or are they slightly dazed, too?

Evanna Lynch and Colin Campbell play Runt and Pig, two characters born at the same time on the same day in the same hospital. A lifelong friendship begins and they grow up together, even creating their own language - which is almost English and once the ear tunes into it, one senses the cleverness of Enda Walsh’s script.

They grow into teenagers and move around the stage with enormous energy, miming props and creating situations that channel their youthful energies until it spills over into violence and its awful consequences. All very well, but this raw recklessness produces a couple of surprisingly unlikeable people and I began to wonder why the play was being performed again. This is the 20th anniversary production and, never having seen it before, I considered whether it has dated well. John Haidar’s direction is precise and physical within the black box staging (designed by Richard Kent) and, although Lynch and Campbell don’t hold back in their performances, the abiding memory of the play for me is the technical side - a stunning soundtrack from Giles Thomas and a constantly evolving lighting design by Elliot Griggs.

Disco Pigs is a visceral, in-your-face, angry play that leaves subtlety behind. It felt like we were being shouted at. Tender moments were fleeting, but when they did occur, they were brilliant and left me craving for more.

Production Photographs are by Alex Brenner

Performances until 19th August 2017

Monday - Saturday at 7.45pm

Thursday and Saturday matinees at 3pm

Running time is 70 minutes (no interval)

Location: Trafalgar Studios, Whitehall, London

Tickets: www.atgtickets.com/venues/trafalgar-studios

or in person from the Box Office or by calling 0844 871 7632

Produced by Tara Finney Productions

Twitter: @tara_finney, @TrafStudios, #DiscoPigs20

Notes: Age recommendation is 14+