Review: THE HOUSE OF YES, The Hope Theatre

In the shadows of the Kennedy compound in Washington DC lives a peculiar family, the Pascals. Twenty years after JFK's assassination, Marty (Fergus Leathem) is coming home from New York to celebrate Thanksgiving with his mother (Gill King), little brother Anthony (Bart Lambert), and twin sister Jackie-O (Colette Eaton). What should have been a delightful festive reunion turns into a perverted evening of mind-games and manipulation when the young man shows up with his fiancée Lesly (Kaya Bucholc).

Matthew Parker leaves his position as Artistic Director of The Hope Theatre with a bang - quite literally - presenting an impeccably scandalous production of Wendy MacLeod's The House of Yes. Although technically in charge until the end of this year, this is the last show Parker directs in the venue and solidifies a legacy that any future AD will have to compare to. Over the course of his mandate, he's honed his craft as well as put the "little theatre with big ideas" back on the map. This latter instance is the perfect sendoff, putting on a pedestal his incisive direction and eye for detail.

Bronze drapes that hint at bronze with empty frames all around scream opulence, and a large chaise lounge sets the tone for the introduction to a family whose moral high ground is practically nonexistent. Parker winds the characters up and then lets them loose, creating controlled explosions in the room. They wallow in the twistedness of their ways, with Lesly immediately falling prey of their ends. Eaton is simply delectable as the severely unhinged Jackie. From her maniacal laughter to her general demeanour, she is captivating in her self-professed madness.

As her twin, Leathem breaks Marty into two distinctive parts depending on whom he relates to. His painful attempts to act like an average person with his lover are forcefully turned upside-down by his relatives, who industriously try to drag him back into their cove. King chisels their mother out of granite; too strung up on pills and booze to care about her own children, she's an eerie presence in their lives. Like a Black Widow, she weaves her web and sets her trap infiltrating their minds.

Lambert is glorious as Anthony. His vocal modulation and physicality mould a character whose damage sets him on a trajectory that's closely supervised by the members of his clan. His haunting looks and erratically stretched smiles project a singular uneasiness that defines the vibe of the show. Bucholc, who has to indulge their weird attention out of politeness as poor Lesly, is strong in her meekness. Her simple root clash with the privilege that's permeated her fiancé's life and, as his secrets come to light, she struggles to understand their code of conduct, stressing her role as an outsider.

As the eye of the hurricane moves closer, Parker stirs the figures up with Simon Arrowsmith's sound design and Lucia Sanchez Roldan's lights. The Hope Theatre's black walls comes in handy, highlighting the strange and disturbing atmosphere while the in-the-round setting adds an element of voyeuristic pleasure for the audience. In short, The House of Yes is the end result of a concoction of delicate and intricate crafts. The layered thriller keeps its crowd at the edge of their seats, tickling their naughty side and delivering satisfaction with its deliciously climatic ending.

The House of Yes runs at The Hope Theatre until 26 October.

Photo credit: lhphotoshots