| Conversation with a Cupboard Man by Ian McEwan |
| First presented in 2001 by Torch Theatre |
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cast size:1
synopsis: 'Conversation with a Cupboard Man', produced by The Torch Theatre/Red Eye Theatre Company, directed by Peter Doran and performed by Craig Rogan is an 'amazing 60 minutes of intense realism'* which has played at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre’s Summerhouse, ‘The Wardrobe’ (affiliated to West Yorkshire Playhouse) and at Venue 13, Edinburgh Festival. THE STORY: 'Conversation with a Cupboard Man' taken from Ian McEwan's collection of short stories 'First Love, Last Rites' is the story of a lost young man from a dysfunctional family, whose mother refused to let him grow up - treating him as a two-year-old for the first eighteen years of his life. It is an emotional roller-coaster, giving Craig the opportunity to use the full range of his skills, as he brings to life the gripping and shocking tale. It is a lively and physical piece of theatre with some dark humour and disturbing sequences, as the audience joins the Cupboard Man on his journey from a smothered life at home and nervous collapse to the brief revelation of self-expression in an institutionalised environment to encountering the outside world and surviving the malicious attentions of a sadistic boss. Craig alone introduces all the characters along the way, in a vivid and graphic account of a disturbed life - leading right up to the present day. |
There is 1 review of Torch Theatre's Conversation with a Cupboard Man in our database:
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Conversation with a Cupboard Man
by Ian McEwan
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[print] |
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venue Torch Theatre, Milford Haven |
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April 4, 2001 |
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| It's easy for an epic film to move you, the sheer scale of movie-making can literally overwhelm the audience, but to leave the intimate surroundings of a small auditorium deeply affected by a one-man performance is a triumph of the actor's art. Doing a special tour of schools and colleges is the Torch Theatre's production of Ian McEwan's 'Conversation With a Cupboard Man'. Phrases like 'tour de force' are bandied about in review columns so often they have almost no meaning, but Craig Rogan really did give a towering performance - powerful and subtle, electrifying and tender. At times it seemed that the stage was inhabited by an entire cast, instead of a single performer, such is his presence and skill. With a hitch of the waistband, or a smoothing of the hair he was transformed into an oily businessman or a corpulent and sadistic boss. The performance was also testament to the adage that less is more. It's easy to mask mediocre performances behind fantastic costumes, sets and special effects. One man, one table and one chair, one cupboard, one pan and one pair of pyjamas were effectively all this production used - and so nothing detracted from the sheer brilliance of Rogan's acting. The audience at Pembrokeshire College was rapt - there wasn't a cough or a twitch, but there was a hugely emotional reaction at the end of the play, Rogan took the audience on an emotional roller-coaster, making them laugh, furious and tearful by turn. 'Cupboard Man' is a simple story, of the tragic destruction of one man's soul and psyche at the hands of almost everyone he encounters, starting with his mother. There were times when the heart soared as it seemed he was going to make it, that he was going to rise above his appalling beginnings, but no, circumstances always conspired to dehumanise him even further. Craig Rogan was able to totally inhabit the man's skin, there were times when he was tragic, pathetic, others when he appeared so bitter and twisted he seemed to have no redeeming qualities at all. Torch Theatre Director, Peter Doran, hope to take this production on a nationwide tour, finishing up at the Edinburgh Festival - funding permitting. This is, quite simply, the best single performance by an actor that I have witnessed, and so I hope that the cash is forthcoming, and that mainstream audiences have a chance to see this extraordinary production. |
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| reviewer: Fiona Philips |
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