In Radiant Vermin, Philip Ridley shows a true theatrical imagination. To be sure, a different side of the coin to Kneehigh’s physical theatre, this is the talent of the witty yet excoriating metaphor. His characters are from the top drawer of the stock cupboard and are thus well up to the task of managing the most absurd situations. Seduced by a mysterious benefactor from an obscure government department (Amanda Daniels) with the task of regenerating run-down urban areas, the promise of a free house leads Jill and Ollie onto a slippery slope of moral decline. The one condition of the too-good-to-be-true offer is that they renovate the house they are given and keep schtum about the government’s involvement. The accidental killing of a homeless intruder leads to the discovery that the deaths of such ‘vermin’ triggers a magical, ‘radiant’ transformation of their home, in which the nameless vagrants are reincarnated as the rooms of their desires along with all that they could wish for in the way of consumables, including a self-replenishing fridge and a luxury sports car.
‘Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little’. Thus quoth Epicurus in pointing out the addictive quality of pleasure and the inherent dangers of over-indulgence. Ridley gives form to this idea and the consequences it might have for the way we treat our less fortunate fellows. It doesn’t take long before the couple are committing acts of a near genocidal nature with barely a qualm that is not quickly rationalized away. Ridley takes us on a journey in which the couple convince themselves of the moral justification of what they come to view as ‘humane renovation’.
The acting is as sharp as the dialogue, with the two central characters, played with relish by a peart Gemma Whelan and Sean Michael Verey, being given enough fleshly form to avoid being mere ciphers for ideas. Their innocent depravity, unchecked since hatched in a loving and supportive relationship is a joy to see. The party scene with a street-full. of guests is the work of half an hour packed into five minutes by two virtuoso performances.
The old adage worth remembering is that everyone wants to improve, but no one wants to be told to improve. Ridley’s points are cleverly, wittily and powerfully made without having to bash the audience over the head with them. Hence the slightly preachy ending is unnecessary and in my view, slightly counter-productive. Niggles aside this could hardly be bettered.
Shavian in its moral thrust, the play is biting social satire at its most entertaining. A palpable hit. ★★★★☆ Graham Wyles 04/03/15
