Camden New Journal - Theatre: Kiss of Spiderwoman

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The Review - THEATRE by ILLTYD HARRINGTON
Published: 3 May 2007

Cruel times in an Argentine prison

KISS OF SPIDERWOMAN
Donmar Warehouse

MANUEL Puig, an exiled left wing writer, who died 1990, sets his short but compelling dialogue of the squalor Villa Devota prison in Buenos Aires in 1976.
Argentine prime minister Juan Domingo Peron returned briefly from exile in 1972 but his reign and life was short-lived. He died the next year and was followed from 1976-1983 by the Guerra Sucia, the dirty war which was unleashed by the fascistic military regime. Thirty thousand Argentineans either disappeared or died.
Molina (Will Keen) a camp but fastidious window dresser is doing his time for gross indecency. His cellmate Valentin (Rupert Evans) is a member of a band and persecuted revolutionary movement.
To while away the time Molina tells him with embellishments the story of the 1942 RKO b-movie Cat People. In between Valentin reads from his secret collection of Marxist pamphlets. The political puritan and his enforced gay companion move toward a relationship of honest love. Molina becomes his “wife” and courageously and frustrates the authority’s urging to worm information from Valentin, who increasingly resembles a dying Che Guevera.
Spiderwoman made its initial impact at the Bush theatre with Marc Rylands as Valentin and Simon Callow camping it up as Molina. This production is marginally better. Rupert Evans in bending the enemy of the ugly and repressive Argentinean state captures the hopes and despair of his kind whilst Will Keen refuses to cave in to the squalor they live in.
His coupling with Valentin gives a powerful illustration of humanity in triumph and the spirit slowly rising through South America.
Charlotte Westenra once again adds to her portfolio as “a political director” whilst designer Ben Stones harsh prison cell and crashing gates symbolise the brutality of the generals and their allies in that cruel time.
Until May 26
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