THEATRE REVIEW: The Elephant Song ★★★★

There's a brilliance in the world of theatre, when we are propelled into a production that takes place over real time. In recent years, TV has done some fascinating deceptions into this, most notably the worldwide phenomenon, Criminal (the UK Series features stars such as David Tennant, Katherine Kelly, and Kit Harrington). The difference though of it being channelled to theatre, is not just the fact we are literally in the room as a thriller unfolds, but the idea that we lose the sense of time, and with Nicolas Billon's hyper-thriller The Elephant Song, you can really feel the sense that time is slowly running out on a mystery that is clever in dialogue and direction.

When a Mr Lawrence has disappeared from a mental institution, it's all eyes of patient Michael Aleen (Gwithian Evans), who was the last to see the absent psychiatrist. Mr Evans gives a palpable performance as Michael that makes you feel uneasy at times throughout, as the mind games ensue, towards his target, Mr Greenberg (Jon Osbaldeston). Taking the case on, Greenberg knows this institution inside out, and whether Michael knows it or not, Greenberg is sly in pushing him about, dodging his games and throwing his own temptations in. Playing off each other, Evans and Osbaldeston are formidable players and leave us silent as time ticks on, and the disappearance is still shrouded in unsolved questions.

Louise Faulkner makes up the cast as Miss Peterson; discussed in her absence as some horrid physical traits, she's stubborn with Michael, but has a soft touch when she needs to delve deeper, almost playing the 'good cop' in any given situation. Faulkner is a delight and really gives us the stolen breath, from such heightened tension, back to enjoy the space for a moment, though we're unsure how long that'll be. Director Jason Moore has taken the Park90's thrust staging and has ran with an abundance of ideas that ultimately gives the cast room for enjoyment, as you see them thriving off us as an audience, in our reactions.

Set & Costume Designer Ian Nicholas, who alongside Jason Moore make up the production company OnBook Theatre, has transformed the space into a claustrophobic meeting room, with some aesthetic carpet tiles and wall paintings that keep an authenticity to the location, with openness being the key in allowing the actors to play.

Overall, The Elephant Song is a play for the generation; for so long have we missed the live element of real-time entertainment that chews us up and spits us out onto a mystery that messes with our loyalties between those we bare witness to on stage. Oh, and say hello to Anthony when you see him.