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Frozen
By Bryony Lavery
Directed by Steve Scott
At Next Theatre Company
The Noyes Cultural Center
927 Noyes Street
Evanston, IL
Call 847-475-1875, tickets $20 - $35
Thursdays at 7:30 pm
Fridays & Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 2 pm
Additional Monday, May 7 at 7 pm
Running time is 2 hours with intermission
Through May 13, 2007
Chilling look at grief, revenge and forgiveness fuels Frozen
Next Theatre, true to their mission for socially provocative and artistically adventurous work, has mounted British playwright Bryony Lavery’s 2004 Tony nominated drama, Frozen. This is an outstanding play that director Steve Scott has deftly cast with three riveting performances.
The 2004 play explores grief, revenge and forgiveness. Ten year old Rhona has gone missing and her mother Nancy (Laura T. Fisher) is trapped in a state of frozen hope lasting nearly two decades. Am ambitious American academic named Agnetha (Jenny McKnight), who is researching serial killers, unearths Ralph Wantage (Joseph Wycoff), Rhona’s abductor. Through a series of monologues, we see the three unfold a thriller-based psychological drama complete with unique plot twists that keep us engaged throughout. Agnetha attempts to prove that Ralph’s perversion is the effect of nature—due to a series of physical head trauma in his youth—rather than the forces of nurture.
Nancy becomes frozen in grief and revenge and can only see Ralph as a calculated evil, yet she yearns to confront him and face the ultimate test of forgiveness. Playwright Bryony Lavery’s characterization of Ralph offers only hints of his origin—shades of gray are emotionally played out in up and down fits of rage by Joseph Wycoff, who gives a wrenchingly complex performance as the psychopathic killer. Laura T. Fisher’s Nancy is nuances, subtle with seething emotions as she moves from blind hope to grief to revenges to forgiveness. We cherish her journey. Jenny McKnight’s Agnetha moves from the cold academic to a grief-stricken lady melancholy for her research partner recently killed in a traffic accident.
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Frozen is thrilling journey with a chilling portrait of three intertwined lives that ultimately curves upwards to the light. Hope reigns as the human spirit over comes the evil in one’s heart. The three players offer strong and polished performances. Frozen is a clever yet scary look at the personality of a serial murderer. Frozen has surprising twists and resolutions that are at once believable and humane. This intelligent work contains an emotional rollercoaster filled with cathartic opportunity played out with humanity, courage and compassion. See this terrific play—one of 2007’s finest.
Highly Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2007
Jeff Recommended
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