Tinderbox

Published Tuesday 29 April 2008 at 10:15 by Aleks Sierz

Britain’s 21st century future looks luridly bleak in Lucy Kirkwood’s debut - the country is being eaten away by global warming, social decay and land sell-offs to richer states.

But, have no fear, in this riot-filled chaos, traditional English values are upheld by Saul, a London butcher working in Bradford.

Although his existence is often enlivened by his strumpet wife, Vanessa, economic salvation comes in the shape of Perchik, a Scottish illegal migrant who arrives at his maggoty shop. At first rejected by the couple, the newcomer soon proves his usefulness as, like Sweeney Todd, Saul and Perchik discover the ludicrous and lucrative delights of selling human flesh.

Kirkwood’s madcap farce takes a meat cleaver to the carcass of Olde England, and her satirical barbs skewer some familiar targets, from our obsession with weather to the domestication of porn. Written in a vivid style that bears the marks of Martin McDonagh and Anthony Neilson, the play unfortunately is only sporadically funny - and much too long to be effortlessly enjoyable.

Artistic director Josie Rourke has carved out a brand new space in the tiny Bush theatre, and designer Lucy Osborne creates a quaint picture-frame set. They serve up a trio of solid performances from Jamie Foreman (Saul), Bryan Dick (Perchik) and, best of all, Sheridan Smith (Vanessa), with Nigel Betts and Sartaj Garewal in support with a series of cameos. Despite the spirited acting, however, Tinderbox only fitfully catches light, and - despite having as many plot twists as a pig’s intestines - fails to completely satisfy the appetite.