Rhys Williamson
By Charlie Weinberg
Last night I went to see A Very Difficult Person written and performed (as a work in progress) by Rhys Williamson at Camden People’s Theatre. I paid £10 for my ticket. Yup.
Having read the flyer, I was worried the play was going to be a heavy-handed monologue alluding to the conflict in Israel/Palestine. While I admit to thinking throughout it could be, one of the reasons I loved it so much was that in that analogy, the protagonist could be as much Palestine as Israel and vice versa.
In about an hour and a half, Williamson tells the story of a proud new homeowner who (on reflection), stupidly contracts a rogue ‘roofer’ and has to deal with ruin, threat and fear of invasion, continued and unwanted contact with what turns out to be a dangerous antagonist.
The story is told in a consistently laugh out loud, believable and concise one-hander that includes a Weetabix box, a swimming costume, a flying dummy and a dressing gown. I don’t want to give anything away, but the protagonist has a large capacity for self-criticism, wry wit and a clear understanding of retribution. Without moralising, there’s an ending to suit a need for justice and a clear line drawn. While I might think there’s no fairy tale ending to current conflicts, it was good to be part of an audience finding humour, absurdity and reparation for a victim capable of understanding his role in what turned out to be a disaster. This is a level of self-awareness we could all hope to develop.
On the one hand, the play is a short comedic reflection on the dangers of not being careful when dealing with specialist, domestic repair service providers. On the other, it is a scathing allegory for the ways in which land, ownership, property and notions of ‘home’ are both reified and profoundly important to our security, safety and sense of self.
The story is tightly told, every word working for the audience and every action perfectly timed. The ending is unpredictable, the moral immoral (no spoilers, but fantasy about what you’d like to do to your nemesis can be playful). The whole play rests on a premise of fairytales offering us harsh truths and of family, childhood and community as containing both care and contempt.
The show is short enough to enjoy without any discomfort and long enough to appreciate the characters, dialogue, use of pre-recorded audio (poignant and touching), the craft and precision of the writing, and the agility of the performance.
The theme of home, security and safety didn’t end at curtain down. The venue is under threat and currently running a fundraising campaign. Camden People’s Theatre is a small, independent venue that provides youth and adult theatre productions, training and artist development. It offers well-priced shows and gives new and emerging artists an opportunity to work with audiences and technical teams.
The bar is well stocked, the seating is comfortable and while I had the place to myself for a while, it quickly filled with people of all ages. This show is absolutely one to watch and the venue is one to visit. So I put another tenner in the tin on my way out.
