Solfatara

From a brief glimpse of its publicity photograph, this award-laden production from the Catalan company Atresbandes looks much darker than actually proves to be the case. Balaclavas can create a terribly powerful impression.   

Solfatara is the Catalan word for volcano, and this three-hander explores the concept that people are all primed to erupt eventually; some do it often, others simmer ominously under the surface. The set-up looks like a hostage situation and in a sense it is, as the headware-clad Albert Pérez Hidalgo represents the omnipresent fear that hijacks our lives and relationships. He taunts and teases an attractive and seemingly contented couple, played by Mònica Almirall and Miguel Segovia, eventually driving them to the brink of madness.

That may still sound rather intense but Hidalgo is more a Shakespearian fool than a malevolent threat, creating mischief that he invariably regrets. The play is spoken in Spanish with English subtitles which provide a further outlet for knowing humour, as this unseen offstage presence veers wearyingly from the script whenever the actors’ behaviour becomes too irrational or repetitive to bother transcribing.

Created by the performers and ostensibly a comedy, Solfatara is a fine vehicle for their versatility, exploring physical theatre, dance and offering sharp, sometimes gasp-inducing dialogue. The tone shifts rapidly and regularly as the couple are wracked by emotional pain, wreak havoc at a dinner party then are overcome with reconciliatory lust, that itself shifts from sensual to sinister.

Impressively unpredictable and beautifully played, this is an accessible, innovative treat. Look beyond the balaclava.