Detroit review, Cottesloe

Fence and sensibilities

Detroit delivers surburban mayhem in a series of bangs and flurries. From the off we have thuds, blood, smoke and fire. Steaks cook, patios crumble, bodies twist, and towards the end is a visual tour de force that is set design at its cracking best. The question is whether the preceding, unbroken, 100 minutes of drama make the ending worthwhile?

The story is certainly entertaining. A couple of reformed addicts, Kenny and Sharon, move next door - and into the lives of - a straight, surburban couple, Mary and Ben, who are as fragile as they clapboard house they call home. As the four begin a friendship over the barbeque, the tension slowly increases. What is really going on here? It's spooky and uncomfortable and sometimes very funny.

There is a whiff in the air of Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem, but where Butterworth shone light through his anarchic anti-hero, the mood-changing couple in Detroit are a murky grey. Perhaps it's the peculiarly American setting that makes Mary the only knowable character. Once out of the theatre - the Cottesloe has been cleverly configured so the action happens on a central strip into which we're all peering - all four slip from the mind.

In conclusion: Director Austin Pendleton keeps events moving and there is great acting - particularly Justine Mitchell as up-tight Mary and Will Adamsdale as chaotic Kenny - and a wonderful set. It's a fun evening out, yet not a must-see.

References
Cottesloe Theatre and tickets
Michael Billington review in The Guardian