The Prisoner

for a previous production “In Hiran Abeysekera’s beautiful central performance, we see him, over the years, feel his way towards a resolution, through his interactions with local people, visitors, passers-by. And the whole show achieves a magnificent balance of stillness, relaxation, and narrative tension; compelling us to pause, to breathe, and to reflect, but also moving the story towards its end with the inevitability and energy of a natural force, harnessed by an absolute master." Full Review

for a previous production “The story feels like a relic from a bygone era...In spite of the cumbersome plot, the acting shines...There are some lovely moments...The piece does raise some interesting questions...Though it’s not quite the same story, 'Antigone' did it better if you want to revisit ancient Greece...Nevertheless, ‘The Prisoner’ is a brilliant demonstration of acting and a nice reminder of the magnetic power of silence.” Full Review

for a previous production “Although philosophically provocative, a man spending two decades on a barren plain is dramatically inert...The clarity and control that characterised Brook’s best work...is only a few short steps from banality when the material is this thin...To deal with a story that is more meditative than dramatic, Brook and Estienne treat it like a fairy tale...They give it the archetypal quality of a parable, but not the profundity it seems to be searching for.” Full Review

for a previous production "Hiran Abeysekera makes a compelling lead...But aside from an entertaining but deeply silly sequence where he befriends a passing rat, this is static, ponderous fare....Brook’s signature approach, which creates a globe-trotting hodgepodge of borrowed philosophies and ideas, also feels dated in a world that is becoming more and more attuned to the unhelpfulness of lumping all non-western cultures together." Full Review

for a previous production “Beautifully presented, and created with calm singularity of movement and poise from an impeccable cast, it is nevertheless hugely conflicting...The framing of it all as exotic is darkly troubling, as it makes it exclusive rather than inclusive, the multinational cast members are ‘other'...The questions then become confused, the metaphors impenetrable, and the issue of who is the criminal, who the prisoner and who the observed becomes convoluted beyond resolution or care." Full Review

for a previous production “This is a wafer-thin evening, beautifully performed...and presented with a pleasing austerity and a less pleasing childlike solemnity as if we are being handed down a dose of spiritual wisdom...Its studied otherworldliness detracts from its effectiveness. It is beautiful, but never urgent in addressing the difficult world we have made for ourselves...Although there are moments of real grace and invention, almost as if in mid-sentence, the staging does not invite emotional involvement." Full Review

for a previous production “Parts of this play feel distinctly moribund...I’m certainly pleased that it’s over and I can now reflect on a theme...that is offset by clunky dialogue and skew-whiff morality...This play is more fable than anything else...The dialogue is stilted and the pacing turtle-like, although there is a fascination in the otherworldliness of it...At times it does feel as if we are being sentenced.” Full Review

for a previous production “With support from...a strong cast, it is disappointing to find that the drama falls flat and far below the high expectations...The play is a bizarre one act meandering that is both macabre and conflicted. The attempts at black comedy are insipid and limp. It seems to strive towards becoming a 21st Century Waiting for Godot, but in reality has none of the mystery, intrigue or fascination that Beckett’s play holds...Most problematic of all is the play’s extremely warped attitude towards women.” Full Review

for a previous production "Somewhat disappointingly in 'The Prisoner,' Brook’s two rules of the stage space, that anything can happen and that something must happen, are not fully realised. The story gently unfolds without anything much happening and with no sense that anything else might happen. Without the latter there is no sense of drama, and although the intention of this understated approach may be to reveal something profound through such simplicity, the characters and the story feel sadly remote." Full Review