Masterclass, Southbank Centre review
The ‘Mr Nasty of American Theatre’ gets his comeuppance in this comedic dissection of the white male artist, which lifts the lid on issues that continue to plague the creative industries.
Irish theatre company Brokentalkers and artist Adrienne Truscott. make their London debut at the Southbank Centre with Masterclass. Photo by Ste Murray.
Following a hit international tour, Irish theatre company Brokentalkers and artist Adrienne Truscott make their London debut at the Southbank Centre with Masterclass, a witty examination of gender and power in the arts.
The comedy duo of Truscott and Brokentalker’s Feidlim Cannon kick off the performance with an exaggerated interview between an outlandish, misogynistic playwright (Truscott) and a fawning, over-excited journalist (Cannon). Truscott dons a moustache, wig and breeches in her hilarious portrayal of the playwright, whose over-inflated ego is as unbearable as his badly-written female characters.
The pair cavort their way through a series of well-known stereotypes: sipping whiskey from cut glass tumblers, puffing on endless cigarettes and lamenting the rise in ‘woke’ culture. The two-hander is managed adeptly with great moments of physical comedy.
However, as the interactions between Truscott and the interviewer become increasingly absurd, the lines between theatre and reality start to blur. Truscott breaks character to challenge her co-star on his own, real-life behaviour as Cannon is left clinging to what remains of the playwright’s Masterclass in a desperate attempt to get the performance back on track.
Masterclass is now on tour throughout 2024. Photo by Ste Murray.
The narrative turns against Canon as Truscott exposes his own behaviour to the audience. We hear about the attitudes of male writers at comedy festivals and how Truscott perceives these interactions compared to the men around her. She challenges Cannon’s attitude towards making a production that focuses so heavily on gender and power. Is the activism he has shown in creating Masterclass performative, designed to advance his own career whilst presenting him as a forward-thinking ally?
It is a clever conceit, and one that helps the production keep up its momentum. However, the switches between characters as the fourth wall starts to crumble become confusing at times and as a result the powerful message behind the production is diluted. The size of the theatre also presents some issues – it is obvious the script was written with a more intimate venue in mind, with the audience much closer to the on-stage action.
Despite these moments, however, Masterclass sparks an important conversation about the theatrical canon, allyship and the power imbalances we don’t always see on stage. We are given a glimpse into the production room and invited to consider the conversations that might be going on behind the scenes.
Masterclass was on at the Southbank Centre until 12 May 2024, and is now on tour throughout 2024. Find out more here.
Words by Ellen Hodgetts
