*****
EXPLORING the representation of gay characters living in the shadows has been done many, many times in theatre, film and literature. What makes this particular Sarah Waters novel so engaging and so revered by the critics is the clever use of the non-linear narrative, meaning the smallest moments reap the largest rewards.
Hattie Naylor’s adaptation does possess moments when you feel those embers about to turn into flames, but sadly director Rebecca Gatward stays too true to the slow burn of the book, which dilutes much of the emotional connection.
The play begins in 1947 as we work back to 1941, following four characters, their connections to the war and the battles they face - and not just those between countries. It also explores the concept of living a life shrowded in secrecy during such a time of uncertainty.
Kay (Jodie McNee) is a boyish ambulance driver, trying to make sense of life in a post-war haze. She's an interesting character, unapologetically butch and defiant during a time of conservatism. Yet, we spend so little time with her that you feel you're getting a condensed version of Water’s protagonist.
Duncan (Joe Jameson), recently released from prison, is finding it hard to adapt and still feels trapped. His sister, Vivian (Thalissa Teixeira) experiences a moment whereby she realises she can change her destiny, while Kay’s former lover, Helen (Kelly Hotten), embarks on a course self-destruction, ruled over by the green eyed monster.
The performances are all credible. McKnee’s haunted Kay placed at the forefront, Teixeira imbuing her role with feelings of guilt, loss and excitement within a huge variety of scenes, while Jameson is also excellent as the former prisoner. It's just, everything is so deeply earnest and slow moving that you do become disconnected.
Dan Jones sufficiently captures the randomness of war in sound, as does Elliot Griggs's lighting. And there are moments when you find yourself immersed in this nocturnal universe Waters so deftly creates, a sense of the darkness of war and the despair that comes afterwards, but much too often the emotional and erotically charged elements of the book are lost amongst characters not fully rounded enough for you to care.
The Night Watch is at the Royal Exchange Theatre until 18 June.
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