Review by Daz Gale
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Finborough Theatre in Earls Court continually impresses with its programming, offering a range of brand new work and rarely seen shows with the caveat of never presenting work that has been seen in London in 25 years. It makes the space frequently exciting – with its fifty-seat theatre proving small but mighty. The latest show to move in there is the world premiere of a new adaptation of The Passenger – a show that hopes to prove worth travelling to.
Written by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz in 1938 and becoming an International hit when it was discovered 70 years later, The Passenger tells the story of respected businessman Otto Silberman who is forced to flee his Berlin home when Nazi stormtroopers batter down his door. Trying to conceal his Jewish identity and with nowhere to go, he finds himself on a series of trains across Germany as he desperately tries to escape.
Nadya Menuhin’s adaptation takes the action and condenses it into a thrilling, non-stop ninety minutes with a cast of five taking on all of the various people Otto meets along the way in a tense and relentless retelling. The story proves captivating though the tone of the writing sometimes varies with moments of comedy and surrealism that don’t always land. It is the moments where the gravitas of the situation dominates and the emotion and weight of what is happening come to the forefront that allows The Passenger to shine, being the best version of itself.
Tim Supple’s direction is big and ambitious in scale, stretching far beyond the extremely intimate space of the Finborough Theatre. Opting to perform The Passenger in the round with one or two rows of seats surrounding all four sides allows the action to feel cramped and inescapable in what I perceived to be a deliberate attempt to feel part of the action – it does get a little bit too close to comfort though. Prepare to be whacked by props and avoid the constantly circling cast. I had to weigh up what is undoubtedly stunning direction for such a small space with the fact that this probably is too small a space for the choices made. I got the sense this was being made with the intent of the size of theatre it hopes to go to as opposed to the one it is currently at – though I have no doubt this will inevitably move on to a larger space, where its breathing space will further elevate the direction.
The Passenger does get very tense throughout, and a lot of this is achieved through fantastic use of lighting and sound. Mattis Larsen’s lighting design is purposely uncomfortable at times with a couple of prolonged blackouts making my heart rate increase. Joseph Alford’s sound design provides an ominous soundtrack that further adds to the dangerousness of the situation, though I personally wasn’t won over by the accompanying sound effects made from miming props, particularly the repeated usage of a specific sound to signify cigarettes which proved annoying to me – a minor quibble, I know, but one I found cheapened the quality.
Robert Neumark Jones leads the cast as Otto Silberman, storming on to the stage without warning in the sudden start to the show and not leaving the space until the end. Showcasing impressive strength and versatility as a performer, he manages to be charming and confident at times and erratic and terrified at others. Beautifully representing the conflicting and ever-changing emotions of Silberman, he proves to be captivating and instantly allows you to connect with his journey, feeling empathy and longing for a happy ending despite the fast-changing and increasingly scary world he faces – something many of us can relate to once again due to recent events.
The other four cast members switch effortlessly from one character to another, sometimes right before our eyes. Erin MacLennan is at his best as Theo Findler with a fairly surreal but oddly tense game of chess an unexpected moment. Dan Milne takes on a number of ticket inspectors, though the avoidance of accents makes one random use of a Scottish accent feel fairly jarring and I still struggle to understand the reasoning behind that. Kelly Price stuns in her turns as Otto’s wife and a Nurse, though is at her best as the mysterious yet alluring Ursula. The cast is completed by Ben Fox with his most memorable character being a Police Inspector as the show roars towards its devastating climax.
The Passenger is a bold and ambitious production. Full of tension and intrigue, it proves captivating throughout with some big production choices that stretch far beyond the supposed limitations of such a tiny yet integral theatre. Not perfect by a long shot, but always impressive – a show like this not only demonstrates the importance of new theatre but in supporting theatres like the Finborough that continually churn out fantastic shows. I have no doubt The Passenger will continue its travels for the foreseeable future and look forward to getting a ticket to the next part of its journey.
The Passenger plays at Finborough Theatre until 15th March. Tickets from www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk
Photos by Steve Gregson