“Carmen Disruption” – a play by Simon Stephens

Carmen Disruption – a play by Simon Stephens

Almeida Theatre until 23^rd May 2015

A mechanical bull, panting its last breath lies centre stage and is surrounded by ramshackle bricks to depict some nameless European city. Simon Stephen’s play is lightly based on Bizet opera but heavy on symbolism. Is the dying bull gasping the last days of capitalism in what had been a tightly fought UK election camapaign or is it representative of “big business’ being killed off, Atlas Shrugged style, by yet more rules and regulatuions? Is the backdrop of the crumbling city a metaphor for the battered stae of Europe and all the problems associated with being a member of the European Monetary Union?

There’s always plenty to ponder in Stephen’s work (Birdland and his adaptation of A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) but this time Stephens uses monlogues via five characters to act out his piece. Each of the five assumes a role from the original opera, Carmen. The strongest of the set is actually Carmen the rent boy in a convincing but extremely harsh performance by Jack Fathing. (Note: when the Almeida sets an age guidance of 15+, take heed as my age inappropriate teenager luckily ignored Farthing’s clenching pictorial description of a rather nasty encounter). John Light and Noma Dumezweni also put in strong performances. Light plays “Escamillo” but this time Bizet’s bullfighter is a banker or hedge fund manger (yes, more symbolism; bullfighter versus bull market) trying to navigate himself out of a financial quagmire and Dumezweni is Don Jose but again the soldier has become someone else, this time an equally troubled driver. Perhaps the pivotal character is known solely as “The Singer”, played by Sharon Small. She seemingly travels the world to inhabit other people’s shoes (mostly Carmen’s) but never her own. Her monologue depicts her struggle and ultimate escape from the theatrical stranglehold.

For 90 minutes nobody actually talks to each other and much of the communication is shown via electronic devices, both contemporary facts. Carmen Disruption is clever and certainly delivers poignant messages but the story is very randomly connected. Five characters in search of something? Not quite sure what, but lots to think about.