Review of ‘Breakbone’: “Still waiting for that itch”

The Rosemary Branch Theatre hosts the London premiere of this one-man show by Dominican actor and playwright Victor Arcturus, dealing with the hallucinatory reflections of a young man after being bitten by a tse-tse fly. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if this philosophical ride features any extra bugs throughout.

Madness can sometimes be the only tool to restore the sanity the world takes away from us. And as an extension, that’s in many forms the purest, most accurate definition of art. A stream of chaos that brings order to our inner selves – and whose unyielding power serves as the final revelation for the truth we’re exposed to, but for some reason or another, we opt to shut our eyes to.

Such ruminations may have probably left, to the very least, a lasting mark in Victor Arcturus’s writing when conceiving Breakbone (The Ts and Cs of a Mosquito Bite). A psychedelic journey into the abstract, exploring and questioning the themes that both build and are built upon our nature when abiding by the undisputed rules of society, the text takes into a 60-minute whirlpool of conflicting ideas and clashing sentiments – in an expressionist attempt of showing the hypocrisy and dehumanisation that dwells not only in the world around us, but within ourselves.

Directed by Francisco Noulibos, and starring Arcturus himself all through this monologic jaunt, the script founds its basis on an appealing and compelling premise. However, such intentions are sadly not properly matched when it comes to its development. Though giving a few interesting, thought-provoking reflections playing to its existential tone, many of its topics feel nonetheless rather tip-toed, without too much insightfulness or profundity given to any of them other than what, in the end, looks closer to a brief and barely scratched mention.

In addition, though its abstractionist style condoles its absence to some extent, there’s still an unresolved vibe of incohesiveness and disconnection hovering around the recount – at some moments, giving the impression that the hallucinatory state of the character serves more as an excuse than a well-established framing device, genuinely capable of weaving all of its components together.

Some praise must be giving, anyhow, to a few aspects of its staging. Though devised as a minimalistic, almost set-less concoction, the production is still able to bring plasticity and narrative prowess through Conor Costelloe’s beautifully implemented and atmospherically effective lighting design. On the other hand, Arcturus makes also a noticeable effort through his committed performance in the lead role. Yet, there’s still an element of honesty and naturalness that’s missed all throughout – on too many occasions, unable to construct a bond with his audience by not endowing his personage with that seductive factor that allows us first to believe him, and eventually, to care about him.

A sumptuos melange of flavourful ideas, Breakbone sets up a biting interest through both its dramatic and philosophical purposes, but fails to sting any deeper by relying too much on the concept without putting the same amount of concern into its nurturing. A sharper, more conjoined account that can bring ethos and pathos to the same degree will be crucial to elevate what, as of now, remains closer to just a germinal notion in a very sterile state, but which has the potential to blossom into a living creature with enough force to move and stir. It brings up the illusion, but it hasn’t found the way to keep it real yet.

Breakbone (The Ts and Cs of a Mosquito Bite) plays at London’s Rosemary Branch Theatre until 28 September. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara