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ED2011 3/5 Reviews ED2011 Theatre Reviews
Dusk Rings A Bell (HighTide Festival Theatre / Escalator East To Edinburgh)
By James Chew | Published on Sunday 14 August 2011
The acting is top quality, the delivery is good, the staging is excellent – so what’s the problem? The play, unfortunately. A sustained dialogue between 39-year-old communications expert Molly, and ex-flame and felon Ray, the drama unfolds around their chance meeting, budding relationship, and the ramifications of Ray’s past. Stephen Belber’s script attempts a complex exploration of humanity, crime and redemption, but errs in making his characters just too unsympathetic. Molly hides her emotional distance behind a veneer of eloquence, while Ray’s tormented outcries often seem like unjustified self-pity. The play is at its best when dissecting the flaws of its characters, and at its worst when attempting to sympathise with them. But perhaps you’ll be more forgiving.
Assembly George Square, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 29 Aug, 2.00pm (3.20pm), £9.00 – £12.00, fpp258.
tw rating 3/5
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