I liked Jack Farthing’s ambivalent, slippery Dan with his devious ideas and plotting. He ties back his hair and puts on spectacles for his serious mode but specs off and hair let down when he wants to attract a woman. Is he a man who enjoys the chase but can’t cope with catching his prey?
Sam Troughton is the nicer, kinder guy but less interesting in the security he offers. Dan of course belittles “kind”. Ella Hunt is chameleon-like as Alice with her mysterious background and vulnerability. Her employment and her handling of it is an eye opener. Lisa Toussaint-White’s photographer sees people’s stories in her photographs and tries for truth and integrity.
In terms of gender are the men or the women making the decisions about the beginnings and the endings of their relationships? As Anna says to Alice, “They love the way we make them feel but not us”.
And a question, Is the Methuen Schools Edition version of Closer unexpurgated?
The quality of writing, direction and acting make Closer a five star play from the theatre site that doesn’t do stars. It deserves a further life. You won’t be disappointed even if you’ve seen it before. Wait for the 2022 Awards