Distortion review: A frank account of political deception
Darcy Taylor
Director Rhiann Jeffrey and Writer Amanda Verlaque have created a truly unique and satirical play with their production of Distortion. The play explores the current state of Northern Irish politics, created by The MAC theatre in Belfast and streamed online for viewers to watch from home. The disengagement of local politics is captured on stage, presented as a childish game between grown adults. Distortion weaves together issues of sexual identity, political identity, and complicated family relationships, all explored against the background of the dirty game of politics.
The play follows Heather Quinn (Mary Moulds) and Kevin Quinn (Michael Condron), a power-hungry couple intent on making their mark on the world by grabbing a seat from another disgraced homophobic politician. The couple share similar homophobic views, but present themselves to the public as liberals who crushed the political divide. In enters Jo Devine (Valene Kane), a savvy PR guru who is just as ruthless as the couple, as well as being confident in her lesbian identity.
It is hard to take your eye off any of the actors, as they skillfully execute their performances of these fraught relationships, as betrayal is revealed throughout from both partners. Moulds’ performance as Heather was a standout as she drew the audience in from the very start, leaving you gobsmacked when the truth behind her marriage to Kevin is revealed. It turns out Heather married Kevin to conceal her lesbian identity from her conservative mother, all while having extramarital affairs with female staff. This multi-layered performance made the audience root for her one second, and have an ugly taste in their mouth the next.
At certain points, it felt more like a cinematic experience than a play, due to the talented team behind the camera. Set Designer, Ciaran Bagnall succeeded greatly alongside Lighting Designer, Sandy McAlister, in creating the cold industrial set, never failing to remind the audience of the constant ‘cat and mouse’ game the characters played with one another, as their lives become increasingly entangled. Garth McConaghie’s musical underscore was constantly building up feelings of dread and tension throughout, as the characters ultimately destroyed one another in unpredictable ways.
Overall, Distortion was original and innovative, with a distinct Northern Irish frankness about the political world, while also encapsulating the messiness of our personal relationships behind closed doors.
Darcy Taylor studies Media and Broadcast Production (MA) at Queen’s University Belfast.