Jack Holden in Kenrex at the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, Sheffield. Picture: Manuel Harlan
Kenrex continues at the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, Sheffield until 16 November 2024.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
In July 1981, a man was murdered. Sixty people witnessed it… and no one saw a thing.
In the small town of Skidmore, Missouri, local bully Ken Rex McElroy has conducted a reign of terror for the last ten years, involving theft, intimidation, assault, abduction and attempted murder. Boasting that he has never spent a night behind bars thanks to a combination of his sleazy defence attorney and the slow wheels of the American justice system, Kenrex, as he is known, shoots a community stalwart, greengrocer Bo Bowenkamp, and leaves him for dead. But for the townsfolk, enough is enough, and if the courts won’t bring Kenrex to justice, then they will.
Co-written and performed by Jack Holden, this brand-new piece is part true crime podcast, part Western and part intriguing thriller, accompanied by a foot-stomping Americana soundtrack. There is an examination of a moral dilemma at the heart of the production – how much is enough and how far should people take the law into their own hands, but there is also an edge-of-your-seat thriller that causes you to hold your breath as you wait for how scenes will play out.
Although there is a cast of around 20 characters, they are all portrayed by Holden, who, with the slightest shift in poise, a head tilt and a variation in his voice, masterfully brings to life each member of the town’s community. The differing characters are so clearly defined, that while there is initially the potential for confusion with one person playing all the roles, that fear never comes to fruition. Holden’s performance is nothing short of astounding. It is thoughtful, measured and never rushed, and he is not afraid of silence for dramatic purposes. He easily holds the entire stage, and the complete attention of the audience; and in keeping with the play’s theme of justice being done, awards season must surely beckon for his performance.
While it is primarily all eyes on Holden, it would be unfair to label this as a one-man show, as the stage is shared with John Patrick Elliott who is situated behind a collection of musical instruments and mixing equipment, singlehandedly filling the theatre with a live soundtrack which flips between Americana-style songs brimming with the twang of steel guitar and banjo, and a haunting and tension-building score which fills the theatre with atmosphere, beautifully enhancing the narrative being told. It may not be a traditional musical, but the handful of songs do progress the narrative and flesh out the characters and locations, and the use of music is both powerful and effective, bringing with it an energy to what could have otherwise been a very dense piece of drama.
The stage design by Anisha Fields appears modest in its construction – a large billboard beams out the title of each chapter of the play; a movable steel staircase, a doorframe on wheels and a couple of orange glowing headlights create the town effectively, defining each location. Its effectiveness is in its simplicity, as subtle lighting changes, colour hues and the positioning of props build up a picture of the different locations. There is a wonderful sound design by Giles Thomas that wraps around the audience and absorbs them into being part of the township, and the direction by co-writer Ed Stambollouian is confident and inventive, captivating the audience immediately.
The show is wonderfully written and the story is intriguing. The tension within the auditorium throughout is palpable. The pathos is intense, and the characterisations are absorbing. This is absolutely phenomenal theatre.
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