Review SNOWFLAKES by Robert Boulton at Old Red Lion Theatre 28 Sept – 16 Oct

Profound, an allegorical tale for our times’ ★★★★★

Billed as a black comedy, Dissident Theatre have created a nightmarish futuristic social media gone mad in a parallel world. In this world video porn is immensely popular but what if, video revenge on perpetrators of sexual violence took over?  

Snowflakes is a master class in the use of theatricality, although there is a filmic feel to the show, it uses a marriage of multi-media, superb lighting effects, thoughtful costume and set design to achieve it. The theme, hired killers out for revenge, also seems too unbelievable for theatre but this writing is profound, and these actors pull it off by bringing a depth of characterisation. 

It’s cool, it’s chic, it’s cruel and you might expect Jodie Comer as Villanelle to turn up any moment, yet the suspension of disbelief is easy to maintain. There are moments which really stand out in the production, which has two acts, two long scenes spanning one and a half hours, and a very satisfying ending. It is beautifully structured. We are treated to some fantastic dramatic irony early in the play. Later in the play there is a reversal and a denouement which gives us the starting crime. There is also that ‘out of body’ moment when actor Henry Davis as Tony, gives an existential speech, which puts our lives in a nutshell.  

The actors are superb, although at times, Robert Boulton as the sadistic Marcus is on the verge of going over the top or descending into cliché but just keeps the lid on it. There is terrific added value in the exacting direction from Michael Cottrell, the violence is frighteningly realistic. There is the edgy set and costume design by Alys Whitehead which helps to create an image for the show along with sparingly used multi-media which makes it very current. Above all, credit to the smoking lighting effects designed by Jonathan Chan which give the show a film noire effect.   

There are plenty of laughs along the way, but importantly it is a play which has its finger on the zeitgeist. Finally, the title of the play, SNOWFLAKES, is explained in the show as a derogatory term thrown at Millennials. Dictionary definition: (Slang) … the inflated sense of uniqueness, an unwarranted sense of entitlement, or are overly emotional, easily offended, and unable to deal with opposing opinions.

If you’d like to see what the show has to say about that, better book your tickets. 

Photography: Charles Flint Photography

SNOWFLAKES by Robert Boulton

28th September – 16th October, 19:30

Saturday matinee, 2pm

Location The Old Red Lion Theatre, 418 St John St, Islington

Box Office https://www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk/Snowflakes.html 

Director Michael Cottrell

Assistant Director Nat Graham

Designer Alys Whitehead

Lighting Designer Jonathan Chan

Stage Manager Maria Maracci

Writer / Marcus Robert Boulton

Sarah Niamh Finlay

Tony Henry Davis

Twitter @dissidenttc #Snowflakes @ORLTheatre 

Reviewer: Heather Jeffery is Editor of London Pub Theatres Magazine