REVIEW: SUDS' "Jim Got Shot"
By Lali Gill
Jim Got Shot is a new work written by Declan Coyle and directed for SUDS by Margaret Thanos. Sporting an eleven piece band and a six-person cast, the inner workings of Coyle’s mind were brought to life with colour and chutzpah.
Though a very entertaining night at the theatre, it is unclear to me what themes or ideas are explored in this piece, and truthfully, it’s difficult for me to even explain the plot. The story follows ditzy and forgetful John and strong headed and highly strung Lydia on various missions, under the control of Alison and Allison.
Isla Mowbray as Lydia was brilliant - her performance strong and clear, yet nuanced. She ensured every moment was not one dimensional and felt very real in the established world. Felix Faber’s depiction of John was equally impressive, and with comedic timing that almost never missed a beat, Faber charmed the audience from minute one and continued to carry us swiftly along till the end. Eoin O’Sullivan was a standout, his portrayal of Henry felt real in both the world of the play and the world we live in, and through his larger than life rage and strength, he managed to feel somehow subtle in his mannerisms. Huge shoutout to that accent work, too! Emily Henderson and Danny Cububas as Alison and Allison were charismatic and had brilliant energy, their stage chemistry was awesome to watch and their scenes always felt dynamic and full of life. The Professional, solidly portrayed by Alexandre Douglas, though well performed by him, is underwritten. I understand what Coyle was going for, (I think), but unfortunately the character’s deadpan bodyguard bit doesn’t read well on stage for the duration of a full-length play. The contrast between The Professional's calmness and the rest of the characters’ animated personas made room for comedy, but due to the character’s minimal dialogue and expression, some moments fell flat.
The band, though sounding great, was underutilised. The stylisation of the show could have been hugely lifted by regular use of sound effects. When used properly the impact was amazing, but I found myself often wanting more music cues to enhance the suspense, comedy or emotion of certain moments. The set by Pearl Cardis and Katherine Porritt-Fraser was brilliant and detailed, and seemed to get the audience excited as soon as the theatre began to fill. Costuming by Abi Coffey and Serena Dalton was fun and daring, and lighting by Sophie Morrisey was spot on (ha!), adding yet more colourful layers to the already rich production.
(Also, the musical number at the end was awesome! More of that next run?!)
Jim Got Shot is trying some brave things, and plenty of them worked brilliantly. Where the show falls flat is in its inability to fully commit to the absurd, which at times leaves the audience confused by the story itself, and questioning what reality is the one they should be following. In future runs of this show, I would love to see the elements of absurdism, animation and satire pushed even further, not only to create more clarity, but also because those elements are where this production really shone. Of course, not all theatre needs to have a huge take-home message attached to it, but I did leave Jim Got Shot unable to pinpoint what it was attempting to explore - is this show about friendship? Power? Loyalty? All great concepts which were touched on but never quite realised.
One of the things I loved most about Jim Got Shot was how free it was - Thanos allowed herself and her team to properly play, and experimented with different techniques as well as stylised movement and speech. The opening sequence was seriously exciting to me and felt properly cinematic, especially in the cellar, and especially knowing this is the first time this text has ever been brought to life. As we know, theatre doesn’t exist in a bubble, and I can’t help but immensely respect the risks taken by the creative team of Jim Got Shot. In the world of student theatre we definitely see trends, and the current fashion leans towards the hyper-realistic and conversational genre. (A genre I love and am comfortable with myself.) In Jim Got Shot, though, Coyle and Thanos transported us somewhere strange and refreshing, and for that, they deserve sincere recognition. Taking risks in the student and independent theatre scene is admirable, and they should be congratulated for doing something different. Super excited to see where this show goes!