Song From Far Away, Young Vic

On the way out of the auditorium at the Young Vic, those of us in Row F were held up by two elderly ladies on sticks who were discussing Simon Stephens' one man play, A Song From Far Away. The conversation centred on actor, Eleco Smits' nudity during a large part of the 80 minute show.

"I think," said the first woman, "that the scar in his groin must have been from his waxing."
"But what did the nudity indicate?" asked the second.
"I think," said the first woman, "it indicates that his emotions are stripped bare."
"Like modern art," mused the second. "So you have to think about it."

Everyone was thinking about it as we emerged to a crisp autumn afternoon in Waterloo. "I don't understand why he had to take his kit off," said one woman to her husband. Another punter was apologising to friends for the content: she hadn't realised it was a naked rumination on death and human dysfunction. It must be said that, having purchased a ticket furtively while on the office computer, I'd not read the detail either and had assumed Song From Far Away was a musical.  It was a bit of a shock to discover a set made from cardboard and no dancers and no band.  It may be helpful to know that the only music in Song From Far Away is fragmentary snatches of song by Mark Etizel. They're instantly forgettable. Maybe that's the point. You have to think about it.

The story is bleak and elegantly simple: Willem's kid brother, Pauli, has died suddenly. Returning to Amsterdam after 12 years in New York, the banker is forced through his grief to face the demons of his past. These include his own failings as a son, a brother, and a lover. Smits effortlessly underscores the nuances hidden in everyday exchanges as he navigates the small print of death, particularly the clumsiness, the theatricality, and pain that suddenly bursts forth in exchanges with people from another time and another life. The Dutch perspective is really interesting and there are some charged moments.

In conclusion: The nudity in Song From Far Away is gratuitous, but doesn't distract apart from fairly normal considerations of the tackle on display. There is good observational writing and some great acting with scenes and people and sadnesses that everyone will recognise. Jan Versweyveld's spare design and razor sharp lighting is terrific.

References:
Song From Far Away, Tickets
Photograph, Jan Versweyveld, taken from guardian.com


Young Vic, 66 The Cut, London SE1 8LZ                    Run ends Sept 19