Mr Kolpert

115270 original

Ralf and Sarah are bored twenty-somethings having a dinner party for friends whom they clearly do not like. To pass the time Ralf invents a story about having a dead body - the eponymous Mr Kolpert - in a trunk in the middle of the living room. As the play progresses it becomes increasingly unclear to all involved as to whether Ralf’s story is an invention or not.

First staged in Britain by the Royal Court in 2000, David Gieselmann’s play remains delightfully macabre and compelling. A mixture of popular culture and dark fantasy Mr Kolpert constantly keeps its audience guessing as it weaves together its collection of truth and invention. As a statement on the desire for risk and heightened experience it still packs some punch.

There’s a blandness to Ralf and Sarah’s world, capture perfectly by Daniel Raggett and Mikey Theodosiou’s production, with its Ikea furniture and unbroken white walls. Against this the increasing threat of violence streaks the show, with just the right amount of horrible laughter generated. There's nothing showy about the direction but it’s an understated response that serves the play well.

Within Mr Kolpert, however, the cast are competent rather than spectacular. Hannah Barry, as the mildly neurotic and downtrodden Edith, injects some spark into the production, firmly grasping the opportunities presented to her by Gieselmann’s script. Elsewhere however, it’s the script, rather than the actors, that are doing the hard work.