Knives in Hens
Words matter in the pre-industrial world of David Harrower’s 1995 debut play. Language is sacred and potent, whether in the naming of things, the inking of words on paper or in the acquiring of literacy and the freedom that it brings - the blossoming of the self.
Phil Cheadle (Gilbert Horn),standing Jodie McNee (Young Woman) and Nathanial Martello-White (Pony William) in Knives In Hens at the Arcola Photo: Tristram Kenton
The play concerns a love triangle of sorts between a ploughman, his wife and the miller, whose status marks him as an eternal outsider, a source of superstition, reviled by the villagers. Harrower’s writing is striking in its simplicity, every word is well chosen, and the very concept of metaphor is alien and suspect. The miller gives the ploughman’s wife the gift of words, the means to express her internal world, and with it comes both a deeper awareness of who she is and what she wants, what she feels.
Serdar Bilis’ well-paced revival doesn’t quite manage to evoke the full richness of the text but it is undeniably atmospheric, the air thick, the stage floor loamy. All three performances are strong, with Jodie McNee in particular managing to convey the complexity and struggle inherent in her character’s awakening. Live cello accompaniment is provided by Maria Rojo and the music adds to the production’s eerie magic.
Production information
- By:
- David Harrower
- Management:
- Arcola Theatre
- Cast:
- Phil Cheadle, Nathaniel Martello-White, Jodie McNee
- Director:
- Serder Bilis
Production information can change over the run of the show.
Run sheet
- Arcola, Studio 2 London
- February 5-27 2010
Content is copyright © 2012 The Stage Media Company Limited unless otherwise stated.
All RSS feeds are published for personal, non-commercial use. (What’s RSS?)