Hostage Song continues at the Finborough Theatre, London
Hostage Song continues at the Finborough Theatre, London until 8 July.
Just a glance at the strikingly stark picture of a blindfolded man on the cover of this production’s programme tells the audience that this is not a show for the faint-hearted. The European premiere of new musical Hostage Song, first performed at the Kraine Theater, New York City back in 2008, is an intense experience which is constantly unsettling, often very upsetting, but also occasionally joyous and ultimately quite unique.
With even the Finborough’s newly installed air-conditioning struggling to cool a capacity house (around 55), the heat generated was fittingly oppressive for the tense and tragic hostage situation in which Jennifer (Verity Marshall) and Jim (Michael Matus) find themselves. Blindfolded, bloodied, hands tied and stumbling around, freelance reporter Jenny and contractor Jim cut desperately sad figures, finding solace in small, trivial humane crumbs of comfort.
It’s Pierce Reid though, the band’s enigmatic frontman who also plays the part of Jim’s son, who really impresses, belting out the opening number with a self-assured cockiness you can only admire. Add his fine rock vocals to some assured acting and his is a career to definitely watch, the opening few rattling good numbers captivating your attention from the start.
The music and lyrics, by Kyle Jarrow, feel like a blend of The Smiths and Tom Waits, curiously rousing, but troubling and depressing. Tapping your feet along to tunes based on people being held hostage just doesn’t feel right, but then again neither did humming along to ‘Girlfriend in a Coma’. When their tied hands do grab the microphone, neither Matus or Marshall are in the strongest of voice, but amid the personal carnage of the situation that never really matters that much.
What’s more important is that the audience cares about the two captives as much as they grow to care about each other. When Jim lovingly wipes away the encrusted blood of Jenny’s shot translator from her face, he explains: “I’m a dad, it’s part of the territory.” His gruesome demise is a truly shocking moment.
It’s the painful personal memories recalled and small human touches woven into Clay McLeod Chapman’s book that ultimately make this work. If anything, some latter scenes could be trimmed. Certainly had it been much longer than 75 minutes, its impact would have started to wane. As it stands, director James Veitch creates a gruelling but compelling watch. You leave feeling a bit emotionally bruised and bloodied yourself – job done then by an impressive, tight cast working well with a fine young band.
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