War is popular at the moment, isn’t it? It probably won’t be long before it invades the catwalk, or before it leads to morality tales about beauty and meaning through human suffering.
The American High School Theatre production of Hard Rain follows Sasha, our everyman protagonist, through the rubble of terrorised streets, bombings and the inevitable hardships of war. It could be argued that tackling such a subject is a brave move by any young writer, but here it seems the easy way out has been taken along with a few “harrowing” instances garnered from The Hollywood handbook.
War is a complex matter yet this production lacks the complexity to attack such ideas and fails to render the situation with maturity. He has chosen what is actually an obvious subject for impact, but fails to capitalise on the momentum and choices it offers. The cast shows some real promise and, despite the flailing content, hold the stage very well.
Ultimately, the writer leaves us feeling patronised and a finale of cast members renouncing their robes brings sourness to the melodrama. Diluted and sentimental in a way that only Oprah Winfrey could enjoy.
2/5
Steven Carey
