The Hunt, which is adapted by David Farr from the 2012 Danish film of the same name, is performed by the MA students from Rose Bruford College. Directed by Jack Reardon, this production is a gripping edge-of-your-seat thriller play that strikes the audience with terror, discomfort and questioning their world through incredible performances from the young company. Adapted from massively critically acclaimed and award winning film, the stage adaption is a truly unforgettable and unshakeable play that will have audiences swept away. The tension is high throughout, and makes for a hard but worthwhile watch.
The Hunt is a psychological thriller, set in a small town and tight community. When the well-known and beloved kindergarten teacher Lucas (Jonny Dagnell) is falsely accused of sexual assault towards the young Clara (Lieve de Putter), the entire community antagonise, shun and turn against him. Decades of friendship, new romantic relationships and community spirits are strained and lost, and Lucas is hunted and haunted by everyone in his life. Lucas is simultaneously fighting for custody of his teenage son Marcus (Stephen Ledger), with hope just out of his reach, and chances slipping through his fingers.
Dagnell as Lucas is a revelation. He embodies the kind hearted Lucas with warmth and instantly connects and wins the audience over. As an anchor that weathers the storm of a series of unfortunate events, Dagnell remains steadfast in his lovable portrayal of Lucas. The rawness of his internalised pain, accompanied by his moments of vulnerability and loss of self-control are beautifully presented and render an outstanding performance. Dagnell has the rare ability to make the audience feel safe in his presence, whilst simultaneously delivering a heart-wrenching performance that comes as a gut punch. Dagnell may only be at the start of his career, but he has already demonstrated that he's at the top of his game.
De Putter as Clara is wonderfully cast, delivering a rather mature performance as the sensitive and closed off young child, inputting wonder and wisdom beyond her years into her portrayal. Clara feels fully developed as a character, and the audience are instantly able to understand who she is without any dialogue. De Putter delivers another powerful lead performance, and utilises stillness and silence to break down barriers.
Eliza Boyce and Geaŕoid Griffin as Mikala and Theo (Clara's parents) both are very strong performers, bringing two different but equally forceful perspectives to the play. Boyce's emotional outbursts and intelligence is well matched by Griffin's feral anger and hesitation, which allows both performers to have complex characters. Ledger as Marcus is the final bullseye in the main cast. Although a comparatively smaller role, Ledger delivers a memorable and heartbreaking performance as the young boy whose unwavering love and loyalty to his father runs through the piece. Ledger pours everything into his performance, and his emotional breakdowns ripple through the audience. Seema Chhokar as Principal Hilde is commanding with her earnest performance. Peter No as Peter makes a lasting impact in his limited role, and captures the mannerisms of a young child well. Soon Kwon as Gunner, Alina Zhou as Nadia and Sam Woolford as the Pastor deliver strong performances, each contributing a new layer and perspective into the high tension story world.
The set (Rhiann Kennedy) features a lovely wooden paneling with a coarse flooring, reminding one that Lucas' world has slowly dissolved from a colourful and hopeful classroom to a time-ticking game of survival. The lighting is well thought out (Brett Kasza), creating misty atmosphere or a scattered woodland effect. The sound design (Florence Hand) is subtle, with background rain helping set scenes and create or elevate further tension.
The Hunt is a brilliant play that challenges and questions one's self and how far loyalty and trust can guide one. The play deals with several upsetting themes, and includes horrific scenes that audiences can't help but hang onto, utterly enthralled by the story and performances. The Hunt was the MA students of Rose Burford College's final showcase, and played at the Marylebone Theatre between the 11th-14th July.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Gabriel Gawin
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