THEATRE REVIEW: The Cane ★★★★★

The Cane
Royal Court Theatre, London
Thursday 6th December - Saturday 26th January

When Anna (Nicola Walker) returns home days prior to her Dad's retirement party from the state school that he has worked at and climbed the ranks for the last 45 years, she is curious to find out why up to 100 school kids are outside throwing verbal and physical abuse to her childhood home, were axe marks are still visible from a turbulent time she experienced from her teenage years are still apparent. Mark Ravenhill’s ‘The Cane’ grabbles with the themes of abuse in schools, and how the long-suffering punishment of the dreaded Cane can leave a damaging mental scar for the long run!

Alun Armstrong and Maggie Steed portray husband and wife Edward and Maureen, who own a tattered household and come across as an old school couple, where Edward finds himself in the office whilst Maureen stays at home and does the chores, but when the unexpected arrival of daughter Anna is thrown into the mix, old wounds are reopened, as Nicola Walker compellingly  puts in a powerhouse of a performance which’ll leave your jaw being picked from the floor and she slithers around Ravenhill’s brilliant characterisation within the words to keep you entertained, before throwing the rug from under your feet, without giving too much of the plot away.

What is equally so powerful about the whole production is the pacing and chemistry that Walker holds towards her two equal acting partners on stage. Alun Armstrong is endearing at first as Edward, and masterfully lures you into false states throughout that constantly makes you judge his actions, one of which will surely rock anyone who has seen this production to the core, and the full extent of Chloe Lamford’s stage design is revealed. Maggie Steed on the other hand pushes her character to the brink of exhaustion, though in some cases feels too much when mixed into the grander scheme behind the story.

Overall, The Cane will leave you satisfied if not constantly compelled enough to make you want to watch the production again. Nicola Walker steals every scene with her ability to silence the audience into a state of awre as she crumbles and manipulates the stage into her own creativity within the character, something that Director Vicky Featherstone should be highly commended for!