The Stage

Popcorn

Published Friday 16 April 2004 at 16:35 by Natalie Anglesey

Natural Born Killers meets Quentin Tarantino in Ben Elton’s award-winning black comedy. Although Popcorn was a hit eight years ago and has since enjoyed considerable success in the West End, Patrick Connellan’s stylish new production proves that audiences are still intrigued by Elton’s examination of the correlation between on-screen violence and real, so-called copycat violence.

Set in a stunning American loft apartment, designed by the director, the action centres around Bruce Delamitri, a commercially successful film-maker. Sean O’Callaghan is exactly right in the role as he arrogantly justifies his art, specialising in making violent films. The unexpected arrival of real killers, convincingly played by Leigh Symonds as Wayne and Juliette Goodman as Scout, is the catalyst to the action as they manipulate the media to question who is really culpable for their crimes. It is then that the sound and lighting departments really come into their own. Caught up in the manic mayhem are Bruce’s estranged wife Farrah and troublesome daughter Velvet, played by Biddy Wells and Viktoria Kay, while Rebeccah Blake is believable as the centrefold model with aspirations to becoming an actress.

Connellan’s sure grip expertly steers the action through comic book fantasy to harsh reality, veering successfully between high comedy and high drama. The script is laced with acid humour in this amusing but brutally frank work and the terrifying showdown is expertly executed in the ultimate trial by television.