“Have you ever had the feeling you’re being watched?” asks the character of Tom Ripley in Mark Leipacher’s adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley. The audience follows the clever tale of Tom Ripley, who soon becomes friendly with the infamous Dickie Greenleaf, in the hopes of bringing him back to the US from Dickie’s everlasting Italian summer.
Having never read or watched previous adaptations of Highsmiths’s psychological thriller, I found the play quite confusing in the first few minutes. Ripley (Ed McVey) nervously addressed the audience, whilst simultaneously having normal day-to-day interactions — perfectly encapsulating a feeling of social anxiety on stage.
Once the audience were met with the heterosexual-appearing couple, Dickie Greenleaf (Bruce Herbelin-Earle) and Marge Sherwood (Maisie Smith), I slowly began to get drawn into the plot. Between the main trio’s astounding acting, the interesting dynamics between these characters, and the gripping writing in itself unfolding, I was hooked.
It was interesting to witness Ripley’s friendship with Greenleaf soon turning into an infatuation, asking the true question of whether he is in love with him or if, instead he would rather be him? Through a careful exploration of homosexuality and heteronormativity, we see the complexity in the male protagonists’ relationship, and after the death of Greenleaf, Ripley essentially turns into Greenleaf himself. McVey shifts easily between the anxious, loud main protagonist and the suave, nonchalant male counterpart — he is astounding to watch.
Whilst my commentary has been positive so far, it would be unfair not to mention that once the second half began, yawns in the audience started to appear. This may be due to the climactic scene of Greenleaf’s death occurring in the former act, or perhaps it is the overwhelming amounts of Ripley’s monologues (which were obnoxiously and consistently loud, at times with hints of overacting… but perhaps that’s just an accurate depiction of the average American). Despite this, it was compelling to see Ripley’s internal thoughts as he continued to be excessively nervous, even with opportunities to “Change scene!” or “Retake!” his social interactions.
At the first shout of “Retake!”, bringing with it white lights shining from behind them onto the audience, the reactions from audience members was of instantaneous shock. The lighting was awe-inspiring in its ability to perfectly display the different scenes’ themes, evoking elements of nervousness, calm, and horror. It was also impressive to witness how the minimalist stage design, consisting of a lifted large square-shaped platform with a hole in the middle, was utilised. A variety of props were rolled in to support the scene’s imagery — allowing the audience to fully focus on the individual characters and their dynamics.
Overall, Leipacher’s adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley was spectacular, and the acting alongside the stage design and lighting was a huge contributor to this. The writing had me engrossed in the tale’s denouement, but I would recommend bringing an energy drink in preparation for the second act to beat the yawns away.
Image by Mark Senior, courtesy of Festival Theatre.