Bound

• Miriam Gillinson
• 8 August 2012

This article is from 2012.

Anarchic trip to California derails early on

A young lad, his innocent girlfriend and estranged father are trapped inside a freight train. What was meant to be an anarchic trip to California has turned into an indefinite prison sentence. It sounds like the ideal ingredients for an intensely claustrophobic play but Dylan Dougherty's Bound derails early on.

Neglectful father, Banjo, is certainly an eccentric character but Pascal Maetens swallows more lines than liquor. Nick Modrzewski seems uncomfortable in his role as rebellious son Quinn, uncertain whether he is downright callous or simply confused. Celine Verbeeck has a quiet intensity but she struggles to make an impact alongside such erratic performances.

The script is not only garbled but uneven, jolting awkwardly between stiff monologues and loose dialogue. The production's momentum swings wildly, dependent on the actors' wavering confidence rather than the play's emotional arc.

This is a stuttering journey from Belgium company Noosfeer, rescued only by some heartfelt singing from musician Dries Bongaerts. Give him a solo show but maybe leave the rest behind.

C aquila, 0845 260 1234, until 27 Aug, 1pm, £9.50--£10.50 (£7.50--£8.50).