Deluge review, Hampstead Theatre Downstairs

Tonight, a theatre first: everyone in the front row at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs was issued with a towel. The title of Fiona Doyle's play, Deluge, was the first giveaway. The second was the set - a simple platform with a table and two chairs, sitting in a shallow tank with 12 inches of water through which the cast constantly passed. There was much splashing and that kept everyone's attention through the opening, which was just as well as it was a slow burn.

Deluge is the story of an Irish farmer and his wife at a time when it hasn't stopped raining for years. The fields are under water and the cattle are hungry and nobody has any money, and over a period of time there is imminent danger as marauding gangs start stealing cattle feed. Joe and Kitty, struggling to manage the debts left by his dead father, are on their uppers and there's a baby on the way. All around us is misery and mystery: in the fields there are flash lights and shadows. In a parallel storyline, Kitty is being interrogated by a London social worker after a personal tragedy. How do the strands tie together?

The problem with Deluge is that by the time the strands knit, and the point being made by the play is actually made, too many red herrings have entered the water. There is a richness of ideas across 90 minutes, but they crash into each other and instead of providing clarity they create confusion. There are nods to familiar and interesting narratives - Noah and the ark; troubled woman with dark secret; Mowgli; rural poverty; secrets and lies - but no single narrative that is totally consistent.

In conclusion: Deluge bristles with possibility but doesn't deliver. The set, while good fun, adds nothing. The performances in Anna Ledwich's production however, are a treat. Hampstead Downstairs is a great space for testing new works and getting nose-to-nose with excellent casts. The cast in this instance is: Elaine Cassidy, Edward MacLiam, Gary Lilburn and Charlotte Randle.

References
Deluge, Hampstead Theatre, Tickets

Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, London NW3 3EU      Run ends 16 May