Review: A NUMBER, Old Vic

Marking twenty years since its premiere, Caryl Churchill's sci-fi masterpiece A Number returns to the London stage. The hotly anticipated production stars Lennie James as a grief-stricken father who opts to clone his deceased son with the mindset of reattempting parenthood and making up for past mistakes. His intentions are not entirely honourable and as the play progresses, we soon learn of the man's manipulative traits.

The play has enjoyed many revivals, the most recent of which was at The Bridge Theatre back in 2020. While director Lindsay Turner embraces the science-fiction, dystopian aspects, she also places emphasis on the themes of parenthood, grief, and abuse. The production subsequently feels timely and relevant, regardless of its age, permitting us to draw new findings and explore further layers to a deceptively simple work.

James is utterly engrossing, commanding the stage throughout the sixty-five minutes and exuding a sense of disturbing menace. The actor manages to command our sympathy at times, while provoking anger at his questionable behaviour. It's a remarkably multi-faceted performance that gets under one's skin.

James is complemented by Paapa Essiedu, who also captivates with seamless multi-rolling. The actor effortlessly morphs into three different clones, adopting an impressive array of mannerisms to distinguish each child. It's an engaging, intricately detailed performance.

Es Devlin's set conjures a claustrophobic atmosphere, its deep red evoking a sense of brooding anger. Despite its heavy subject matter, though, Turner and her cast manage to excavate humour, which injects further energy into an already pacey production. While not all the creative choices quite work, with somewhat jarring musical interludes between scenes being one example, this is a memorable, multi-layered revival that lingers long after the curtain call. A profound, provocative production, which breathes new life into a modern classic.

A Number at the Old Vic until 19 March

Photo credit: Manuel Harlan