Review of ‘An Interrogation’: “A question of newness”

The Hampstead Theatre Downstairs hosts the London premiere of Jamie Armitage’s latest play, revolving around a young police officer investigating the kidnapping and murder of two women. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if the watch made him feel held him to his ransom.

A few years ago, I remember being watching television (such a precious memory) when the news alerted on the disappearance of a young boy in Southern Spain. As days went by with the police still having no trace of his whereabouts, speculation began to spread. A crying mother begged for her baby to be returned to her safe and sound. Meanwhile, a grieving father holding himself back from showing any sentiments other than a soft, cracked voice and a mournful stare.

That’s all it took for people to solve the crime. To many, it was obvious that the dad had done it. It all added up in their minds, filled up with no more evidence than prejudice and wild guesses. However, there was someone else I had under my cloud. She was gentle, kind, and cooperative with everyone. She wouldn’t have any reservations to express her feelings in public – whether that meant crying in the middle of a radio interview, or kissing her partner in front of the cameras. That cold display of humanity made the revelation. From that moment, I knew that the sole culprit was the stepmother.

Nothing like the power of intuition as the fuse to detonate an explosive drama about kidnapping and whodunit mystery. Last night, the Hampstead Theatre’s hosted the London premiere of An Interrogation, a new play written and directed by Jamie Armitage, dealing with the questioning of a voluntary witness – unaware of the fact that he’s actually under suspicion of abducting and potentially murdering two women.

A gripping premise with an unrestrained chain of possibilities, the script flaunts strength in its overall execution – it’s engaging, well-paced and it preserves its intrigue all throughout, hardly ever going down. The dialogue is probably its most forceful weapon – direct, truthful and crafted with excellent flow and naturalness. It moves the story forward at an almost perfect cadence, as it seamlessly meanders between its thriller and dark comedy parts to take audiences on a delightfully rough, stirring ride.

But as much as Armitage boasts superb skills when it comes to form, the narrative struggles to offer us any element of shock or surprise; let alone, originality – leaving us with a mild aftertaste of unfulfillment in what, in the end, feels like a rehash of something we’ve already seen before in many shapes and sizes.

Agent Starling meets Norman Bates in a contemporary setting. Yet, the tone and style are still close to a 90s crime plot. It’s not a bad starting point, but it loses its appeal the moment nothing else is added to the equation. A few political themes are pitched through the recount (perhaps, not with the best subtlety), but even those look a little worn-out and outdated – provided that police’s inability to spot a port in the storm (*wink, wink*) is presumably closer to a job requirement than a seasonal trait.

Regardless, we can still admit that the piece is, in general, a fairly enjoyable experience. Its compelling staging (cleverly mixing diegetic and extradiegetic live recordings to emphasize the emotional angle) serves almost as a third character, effectively emphasizing the much prominent emotional angle of the tale. On the other hand, the cast secures the play’s moderate success through their genuinely impressive performances.

Bold, effortless and, on the whole, unnervingly arresting, Cameron Andrews and Ruth Palmer make a remarkable pair onstage – both giving exceptional portrayals as the striving police officer who endeavours to dig up the truth, and the alleged killer whose seemingly nice facade prevents her from going any deeper. The total absence of music is further proof of the solidity of their work. There’s no need for an underscore when the tension an actor brings can pierce into your ears the way they did.

Poignant in message and absorbing in form, An Interrogation is nonetheless far from giving audiences the answer for an innovative modern murder mystery. Looking back, through nostalgia-tinted glasses, on the grand revolutionary IPs of their time, the work is still able to have a pulse of its own – though a slightly vanishing one. Deprived of a much hoped-for twist (therefore, leaving audiences clueless as for what to expect), its rapturous script will require several tweaks under thorough surveillance to finally deem its case closed. Until then, its potency will remain on probation.

All pictures credit to Marc Brenner.

An Interrogation plays at London’s Hampstead Theatre Downstairs until 22 February. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara