REVIEW: PUTRID BEAUTY by Barnaby Tobias at Actors East Theatre 1 & 2 December 2023



‘Deep themes with a delightfully sadistic edge’ ★★★★

The setup is simple: the fallen angel Lucifer is the world’s most celebrated artist, trapped on an Earth he despises, while Sapphire is the world’s most beautiful women, though this beauty remains elusive to her own self-loathing eye. Confronting Lucifer in a gallery bathroom, Sapphire persuades him to make her his muse and thereby help her recognize her own beauty; in return she promises to help him find a way back home, to Heaven.

This Faustian pact at the heart of the play works excellently to turn what might otherwise be an abstract exercise in beauty into grounded character drama, delivering both thoughtful and engaging theatre. On top of this writer and director Barnaby Tobias injects a surprising twist within the high-minded themes here by creating a dynamic between the Devil and his muse that can only be described as a ‘domestic sitcom from Hell’, in which Lucifer is constantly disfiguring Sapphire for the sake of his paintings as she begrudgingly keeps house for him, peppering excellent humour throughout while maintaining both character’s struggles with all things art and beautiful.

Bringing this volatile mix together are the performances, with Christopher Watson as Lucifer perfectly bringing to life a Byronic tortured artist with a delightful self-awareness - Watson’s monologues in particular always manage to be simultaneously deep, witty and hilarious and he could easily carry a fantastic one man show. Meanwhile Jasmin Pitt as Sapphire plays things much quieter, rounding out Watson’s bombast with a more subtle and often wounded portrayal of her character (wounded in more ways than one, considering each act opens with Sapphire in an increasingly comic array of bandages and slings).

This sadistic edge to the two’s relationship carries the all important tension throughout the play, so it’s a shame the ending goes for a softer approach than one might anticipate. Regardless, both characters have their arcs wrapped up in a satisfying way, and thanks to the play’s deep themes being delivered with a delightfully sadistic edge there’s as much to ponder afterwards as there is during.

Putrid Beauty showing at Actors East 1st -2nd December 2023

Written and directed by Barnaby Tobias

Produced by Shed Theatre (Iwan Bond & Evan L. Barker)

Lighting by Trekessa Austin

Sound by Sam Baxter

Instagram: @theshedtheatrecompany

Reviewed by Harry Conway