Oleanna
By David Mamet
Old Fire Station, 7.30pm
Until 16th June 2001

Oleanna is a captivating production - go and see it. Focusing upon John (John Washington), a professor, and Carol (Jill Crawford), his student, and with all the action set in his study, there is much potential for Oleanna to be horribly dull. Shoshanah Production, however, has produced a show so technically and creatively strong that the themes of Mamet's writing can shine through. This is a highly admirable piece of theatre.

The play opens with a rather overwhelmed Carol attempting to speak to John, her tutor, about her academic work. From the outset Crawford is excellent, chewing nervously on her nails, giving us the perfect sense of the imbalance of power evident in this student-teacher relationship. Washington too is just right, and as Mamet seemed to intend we never quite know whether to sympathise or despise. There is perhaps a little too much stammering and sighing in the first section of dialogue, which begins to get a little like a particularly annoying Woody Allen film. Yet as both warm to their roles their characters swiftly develop, holding the audience's attention.

It is in the little touches that the skill of Oleanna's two directors, Ben Morgan and Sam Freedman, becomes apparent. With subtly played irony, John hovers just a little too close to Carol as he speaks of "exploitation in the teaching process"; his hand lingers just a little too long on hers as he passes her a cup of coffee. Such detail complements the skilful acting well, and allows the audience to think about the messages of the play - and think you will.

Oleanna has much to say about many things, and no matter how clichéd it has much to say about humanity. It is John's early failure to listen to Carol's 'dark secret' which seems to spark off her change of character. "I don't want revenge," she insists as the play draws to its conclusion, "I want understanding". As Morgan notes in the programme, "the characters' dexterity with their different modes of speech is the source of their powers", and their growing conflict comes as Carol learns to express herself with ever more force and lucidity. "I'm not wrong" she shouts, "you are wrong!"

As the posters say, whoever you side with, you'll be wrong. But why does anyone have to be wrong? This is far from 'easy entertainment', yet whilst the audience will leave with many more questions than they arrived with this is surely only further demonstration of the skill with which this group have developed this difficult yet rewarding production. Don't miss it.

Rebecca Smith 12-06-01