Intrusion
Intrusion is presented by anima theatre – a Vancouver theatre company aiming to bridge the gap between University and Professional Theatre. Company Co-Founder Veronique West has penned Intrusion and directs her Co-Founder Afshin Haidari and three time Jessie Richardson Award winning actress Wendy Noel in this production at the Carousel Theatre.
From the program we are told that two people are brought together during a power outage, strangers in a modern apartment discovering…I anticipated the discomfort, fear and sexual tension this situation could bring.
Shortly after “Man” (Afshin Haidari) enters the apartment of “Woman” (Wendy Noel) the blackout happens, leaving the stage in darkness until the Woman lights a single candle. Now I am aware that you can not light a stage with a single candle, it would be too dark and the audience would not be able to see. Unfortunately they chose to augment the candle with an amber coloured theatre light that was far too bright. The stage was not dim, there were no shadows and the feeling of the blackout was lost.
As the characters began their conversation it becomes apparent that this was going to be a modern revisiting of the story of David and Bathsheba. Not only was this a retelling of this obscure Biblical story, it was almost the exclusive point of conversation between the two characters during this 30-minute drama. I thought it was fortunate that they both knew the story and could fill their time during the blackout discussing it. We as the audience are never really told the story but discover it through their discussions about David and Bathsheba and the similarities of how they met to that of Man and Woman. A young man sees a woman years his senior on her balcony revealing herself, he is drawn like a drunken moth to a flame and proceeds to meet her, and ultimately seduce her, both fully knowing the danger involved.
Wendy Noel puts in a believable performance as she inhabits the character of Woman with both power and subtly. Afshin Haidari provides an energetic performance but I have to admit I did not believe in his quest. “Man” was supposed to be drunk when he arrived at the apartment and then consumed large amounts of gin during the show but didn’t seem to get drunker and then suddenly out of the blue he was sober - I didn’t buy it. Veronique West’s direction of the show did not assist to build either the tension or the seduction. She placed her characters in the two chairs for 90% of the show – seldom going to other points on the stage – the characters almost never moved, approached or touched each other physically. However, these characters do connect with words, not just the words of the Bible story – but the words of two lonely people who find each other in the darkness if only for this moment.