Let’s precis this review with a disclaimer: my only previous interaction with The Talented Mr Ripley is the glamorous 1999 film starring a fluffy-fringed Matt Damon in the eponymous role and a beautifully tanned, if petulant, Jude Law as Dickie Greenleaf. I have not read Patricia Highsmith’s source text, and the slick-looking, monochrome Netflix series, Ripley, also seems to have passed me by. Considering that it stars the delectable Andrew Scott, I have no idea how.
Suffice it to say, having only a limited knowledge of the story, I was intrigued to see how this complex somewhat violent, tale of deception and desire would translate to the stage. Adapted and directed by Mark Leipacher, this has most definitely been handled in an interesting, innovative way.
The opening question - Do you ever feel like you’re being watched? – sets the tone for this paranoid portrayal of Tom Ripley, played exquisitely by Ed McVey (of The Crown fame), and is dotted throughout the performance – a constant, if unnecessary, reminder of the character’s spiralling, obsessive personality. Why unnecessary? Because McVey throws himself wholly into the performance. With some darkly comedic asides (unseen by his cast mates) and a near constant presence on stage, McVey embodies the obsessive, psychopathic Ripley with charismatic aplomb.
Leipacher utilises a Greek chorus of ‘figures’ outfitted in classic 1950s spy-chic of belted raincoats and stylish fedoras, all in muted greys and beiges. These figures assist Zeynep Kepekli’s creative lighting design by shifting staging between (and during) scenes and, more importantly perhaps, seem to be the physical embodiment of Ripley’s paranoid mind. While they are cleverly utilised throughout the show, handing the main players' drinks and towels, as well as removing props and generally bringing a balletic sense of movement to otherwise mundane activities, perhaps one of their main roles is that of a kind of production team in the making of the ‘Tom Ripley’ film. With shouts of ‘CUT!’ and ‘RESET!’ combined with a blinding change to stark lighting, the scene in progress stops and restarts with slight adjustments to dialogue or movement, implying the shifting truth of the unreliable narrator and muddying the waters of reality.
I have to admit that during the first act, the dialogue and scene-changes were so fast-paced that it all felt a little rushed and confusing, taking this audience member a while to tune into the format and chaotic style of the production. That’s not to take away from the performances of all of the main players, and indeed the entire cast. McVey’s obsessive Ripley was complemented by a confident Dickie Greenleaf – played with a cool, arrogant self-assurance by Bruce Herbelin-Earle, looking like he’d just stepped out of a Vogue photoshoot. And Maisie Smith’s depiction of Marge Sherwood is a pitch perfect, quiet and sometimes heartbreaking addition to the tumultuous trio.The three actors work well together throughout and it’s clear that the Movement Director (Sarita Piotrowski) provided meticulous guidance across the entire production.
I also have to give kudos to the Set and Costume Designer (Holly Pigott) for the ingenious set design that initially seems basic but delivers in its adaptability from moody bar to dingy New York flat, to Italian villages, Naples, Rome, a palatial home in Venice and at one key point to a small boat in the middle of the ocean.
All in all, I would say if you do not know the narrative of The Talented Mr Ripley then this stage adaptation of it might go slightly over your head. It is a very theatrical rendering of the already complex tale, which, once my brain managed to catch-up with the flow I found myself thoroughly (and quite surprisingly, in all honesty) invested in.