The Stage

Gizmo Love

Published Monday 14 August 2006 at 15:50 by William McEvoy

Echoes of Sam Shephard’s True West abound but John Kolvenbach’s UK premiere is a brilliantly performed contribution to the body of plays about the challenges of scriptwriting and the conflict between art and commerce in Hollywood film-making.

Toby Dantzic is geeky young writer Ralph, forced to defend his work’s artistic integrity from Hollywood script doctor Manny (Peter Polycarpou). He starts out a purist but Manny’s dirty pragmatism and manic energy soon convince him to re-write the script in line with Hollywood rules.

When two bumbling hitmen show up, with shades of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the plot twists and turns its way to a complex metatheatrical conclusion that’s both emotionally satisfying and thought provoking.

Matt Wilde’s production makes economical use of the restricted space, especially in a clever scene when the characters workshop a new scene for Ralph’s screenplay.

Polycarpou’s performance as Manny is edgy and multi-layered, showing that his love of cinema is just as deep as Ralph’s. Kolvenbach’s dialogue is assured and compact, written with a verve that bounces the play along. The familiar subject matter might stop Kolvenbach developing his own distinctive voice but this is a production of quality.