When Vincent River first starts you believe that Anita (Louise Jameson Dr. Who, Eastenders) and Davey (Thomas Mahy making his London stage debut) are total strangers but the realization of familiarity dawns quickly and uneasily.
This is the first time they have met although Anita has seen Davey various times at a distance since the death of her son Vincent who was the victim of a vicious homophobic attack in a deserted train station known locally as a gay cruising area…she only discovered her son’s homosexuality in the aftermath of his death.
Davey witnessed this crime and it haunts him, he wants to know all he can about Vincent and seeks closure from the one person he believes can rid him of his tormented visions.
Mahy’s performance creates a character who is at once menacing, poignant, solicitous, constantly fidgeting with a cigarette lighter in his hand prowling the set. Meanwhile, Anna is an East End mother hard on the outside always with a sharp retort but vulnerable inside, facing up to the grief of her loss and the knowledge of her son’s sexuality.
In this revival directed by Robert Chevera, it is Philip Ridley’s highly evocative writing that makes you believe and see the railway tracks, the snow, the cold night air and the devastating scene in the station lavatory seen by Davey in his final shocking denouement. Such is the perfection of Mahy’s performance that you want to be as far away from this shocking scene as you can be.
Vincent River is not a comfortable view but one you will remember and leave thinking about it for quite a while after. It is a heart-wrenching drama performed by an outstanding company.
Reviewed by PETER HARRINGTON Queerguru Contributing EditorVincent River, Written by Philip Ridley Directed by Robert Chevera is a one-act play set in a flat in the East End of London which premiered at the Hampstead Theatre, London in 2000 and a revival on 30 October 2007 at Trafalgar Studios, London.
Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP until 14th April 2018
