Down some strong coffee and prepare to concentrate. Madagascar, JT Rogers’s captivating account of a missing person, is not for the faint of attention span.
For a start, its three interlinking monologues have three distinct time strands, not all of which go chronologically forward within themselves. Yet this elusive, beautiful work more than repays the mental effort required of its viewers.
Paul, also known as Gideon, has gone Awol in Africa, and it’s left to his mother (Sorcha Cusack), sister (Miranda Foster) and would-be stepfather (Barry Stanton) to try to figure out why.
These confused characters all talk from the same hotel room in Rome, presenting us with unreliable memories and a gradual picture of a gilded New York family that money and culture couldn’t ultimately help. The acting is superb in Tom Littler’s production and the script continually reminded me of a precious stone that light catches variously at different angles.
Until June 5. Madagascar: 020 7978 7040; theatre503.com Tickets: 020 7261 9876; uniontheatre.biz
Madagascar
Theatre 503, The Latchmere Pub
Battersea Park Road, SW11 3BW
