I saw Theatre Témoin’s last piece at the Everyman Studio, The Fantasist, two years ago and rated it very highly. Their current offering, a devised play entitled The Marked, is presented as a work in progress and, as I understand it, has been developed in the Everyman Studio and previously at the Camden People’s Theatre in London. It is being co-produced by the Everyman Theatre and supported by the Everyman Theatre Association as well as several charitable institutions. It seems like a pie in which a lot of people have a finger and even the audience last night were asked to complete a questionnaire and partake in an after-show discussion.

It is really difficult and probably unfair to judge what claims to be an unfinished work, especially as, for all intents and purposes, it is presented as complete work with sets, costumes and a full lighting and sound plot. It looked finished to me so it will be interesting to see how it develops. I’m not convinced though that the audience should have much say in that process – surely that is the business of the actors, who in this case devised it, its director and other creatives. Theatre by consensus is not very appealing to me. I want to see a company’s vision, a company’s commitment. I want to see a company that has the conviction and confidence to present a fait accompli. On past evidence Theatre Témoin certainly has the talent and commitment to achieve this without seeking advice, inspiration and approval from outsiders.

So, what did we have so far and is it fair to judge it? The play is about Jack, a young homeless man haunted by demons from his childhood which he was trying exorcise. The piece really put me in mind of Terry Gilliam’s brilliant film The Fisher King, with its sense of despair and the use of grotesque, giant creatures. This, to me, is where the strength of Theatre Témoin lies – in the use of puppets and masks which, in this production, were beautifully done. The episodes that were played straight, i.e. just dialogue, were less successful and did not seem to marry well with the more stylised movement or mask-based scenes. The lighting and effects were both good and I liked the use of sound throughout the play, an area often neglected in stage productions but one that can make a profound difference in creating a feeling of atmosphere and location.

The three young actors/devisors (Dorie Kinnear, Tom Stacy and Samuel Fogell) played not only the three “straight” homeless characters but all the demons and other fantasy characters as well – including giant pigeons. The puppet of Jack as a child was excellent but, I felt, a little under used. I would have liked to have seen more of it. There were some excellent special effects – the bit where Jack was consumed by a rubbish bin was particularly successful.

Theatre Témoin, under its director Ailin Conant, is without doubt a talented and imaginative young company and both they, the Everyman and the ETA should be applauded for bringing us The Marked. I am less sure about presenting it as a work in progress and not convinced that consensus is the way forward. I think they should have the courage of their convictions and decide for themselves what is best. That is their job and one of which I am certain, on passed evidence, they are more than capable of accomplishing.   Michael Hasted     6^th February 2016