Imperial does The Ugly One
Eva Rosenthal Mena discovers if beauty brings real happiness with the IC Drama Society.
Beauty does not bring true happiness. Marius von Mayenburg’s 'The Ugly One', produced by the Drama Society, discusses this theme in a comedic and slightly ridiculous approach whilst never letting us forget the tragedy of trying to conform to social norms.
Lette is a man who finds out that he is incredibly ugly and reacts by having his face surgically remodelled. We watch his ascent to attractiveness and power before the surgeon’s actions become his undoing.
A cast of only four actors play the eight characters and the scenes are made to shift seamlessly into one another. At times, the actors transform from character to character with barely a moment’s pause. The flawlessness of these complicated scene changes was a credit to the direction; the constant shifts kept my attention continually on the action.
Ajayi’s nuanced performance gave each character a true and distinct personality
Luke Daley, Shamini Bundell and Phil Raymond were good in their respective parts, with Raymond providing some excellent comic relief as the gay son of a very sexually active seventy-year-old woman. However, Tosin Ajayi, who played the very similar characters of Lette’s surgeon and boss, outshone the rest of the cast. Ajayi’s nuanced performance gave each character a true and distinct personality even though both characters were not only fundamentally the same persona, but also followed similar storylines.
I attended a rehearsal of 'The Ugly One' with no lighting effects, performed in the middle of a simple meeting room. Although the extra effects in performance will undoubtedly improve the fluidity of the scene changes, I enjoyed watching the raw talent of the actors.
Although 'The Ugly One' was essentially about the power of beauty in our society and the true uniqueness of inner beauty, they were at times trying to convey too many messages. Everything from domineering mothers to doctor-patient relationships were there so although the play was a wonderful showcase of the acting talent at Imperial, it left me slightly confused as to the playwright’s overall intended message.
Friday 15th/Saturday 16th in the Union Concert Hall.
Tickets £4 (£2 for students)
