Review: Blue/Orange, Theatre Royal Bath

It’s such a joy to be part of nuanced conversation again. The original production of Blue/Orange premiered 20 years ago – before cancel culture was a thing – and this reworked version, created by writer Joe Penhall in collaboration with director James Dacre and the cast, does not shy away from voicing the unacceptable.

Ideas and motivations are given time to be examined from every angle; some of them make it to the end, while others are trashed along the way. But we have the freedom, in this two hour-long three hander, to shock and be shocked and to question our own assumptions in a place of dangerous safety.

Blue/Orange is a rigorous examination of power, privilege, racism and semantics – set in a psychiatric hospital where status and reason shift constantly. We are watching an intelligently written and tightly constructed exercise in mirroring and balance – where characters’ phrases and intentions are thrown back at them, scenarios are re-interpreted and verbal exchanges switch from light to dark on a knife-edge.

The play itself has been dissected publicly many times before – so I am choosing here to focus on this production, which is mighty in its attention to detail. Michael Balogun is intensely watchable as the psychiatric patient Christopher – pacing and angry one minute, terrified and child-like the next. His gaze is never quite focused on his doctors when saying something sectionable, but laser-like when making an observation on their behaviour.

Ralph Davis as Bruce and Michael Balogun as Christopher – photo: Marc Brenner

Ralph Davis and Giles Terera spit dialogue at each other with perfect timing, moving constantly between supplication and professional pride. All three of them pace every inch of the set like caged animals – physicality underscoring intellect with every line.

Tony Gayle and Valgeir Sigurdsson’s soundscape is fantastically menacing, rising from barely audible to shock and then silence. The design, from Simon Kenny, is immaculate: the set and costumes are grey, the lanyard photos, newspaper cutting and medical leaflets are also grey – in fact the only actual colour we see comes from the oranges in the fruit bowl and the blue cigarette lighter. It’s joyful when every element of a production shows you how much respect its creative team have for their material.

This is a co-production between Theatre Royal Bath, Royal & Derngate, Northampton and Oxford Playhouse. Do yourself a favour and see it before it leaves Bath on November 13 – go with a companion who wants to talk about it as much as you will want to.

Blue/Orange is at Theatre Royal Bath’s Ustinov Studio until Saturday, November 13, with matinee performances on Thursdays and Saturdays. Tickets are available at www.theatreroyal.org.uk.

Main photo: Marc Brenner

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