Moriarty gets messy with money

It is a strange quirk of the human condition that we can enjoy being uncomfortable. Simon Stephens’ new play_ Birdland_ at the Royal Court Theatre manages to captivate an audience whilst remaining incredibly painful to watch.

Andrew Scott (best known as Moriarty on BBC’s Sherlock) plays pop megastar Paul towards the end of a lengthy world tour. As he goes from city to city, we see the effect that the months of late nights, illicit substances and, above all, money have had on his mind. It is the latter of these which Stephens’ piece explores, with Paul not only going on spur of the moment spending sprees, but taking time to wax lyrical about how everything can be quantified and given a value.

In part it is this which will jar with the audience. For the first hour and a half, Scott makes it very difficult to connect with the character, and it works wonderfully. But even when we finally see Paul in more familiar surroundings the conversation quickly turns to cash, and although perfectly sensible in the context of the play, it gives the audience very little to cling on to as they are taken through the play.

The uncomfortable situations would be enough to make you turn away and hide were it not for Carrie Cracknell’s inventive direction. Although many of the metaphors that Cracknell attempts fall flat, and are bizarre enough that they wouldn’t have felt misplaced in Rupert Goold’s production of ENRON in 2009, it does enough to keep you transfixed on the action onstage. The play is relentless, and with no interval it would be easy to find yourself looking at your watch, but a great ensemble cast deliver a performance that elevates the play to another level.

However, I left the theatre confused about what I was meant to be feeling. On one hand it is a simple tragedy, telling of a man destroyed by his success, a warning of the dangers that too much money can pose. But I always felt that there was another level, a deeper message that was getting lost amongst blackened champagne and flooded stages. If that deeper meaning isn’t supposed to be there then the direction was simply going too far and adding disorder.

That isn’t to say the play is not enjoyable. It is incredibly funny in places, and anyone with an interest in theatre will love watching a theatre being pushed to its limits. The story is solid, if not the most original, and it is paced well. It’s just a little bit muddled, and frankly I expected more clarity from a writer/director partnership who are leading lights in the Royal Court Theatre’s mission to showcase new theatre.