Neither actor really pulls off Mamet's very difficult first act. Full of unfinished sentences and interruptions, it is very hard to play it as fast as it needs to be played and still ensure that the English audience will grasp it. But your perseverance will be rewarded after the interval when the play concentrates less on academia and dry educational approaches and more on power and both actors get into the swing.
Daniel Evans's production is a triumph! From the opening overture performed as a ballet by the lone figure of Liat (Sera Maehara) to the parade of the US Marines on the circular stage we know we are in an island in the South Seas, invaded by the American military.
Initially we hear jokes from Alex and Ben, quirky, off the wall and original humour, routines like for instance the difficult mirror act. Ben talks about “life in the forces” only for Alex to prick his bubble by exposing that Ben was working for Parcel Force. They use props in the travelling trunk and introduce the idea that props look smaller onstage than off.