Review Roundup: DANCE OF DEATH at Orange Tree Theatre

Orange Tree Theatre is presenting Richard Eyre’s new adaptation of August Strindberg’s Dance of Death. Dance of Death, written by August Strindberg and adapted and directed by Richard Eyre, will run until 7 March 7.

The production stars Lisa Dillon and Will Keen as Alice and Edgar, a married couple quarantined together on a remote island during a plague sweeping across Europe. Once a celebrated actress, Alice now finds herself trapped in a volatile marriage with Edgar, an army captain. When an old friend arrives to mark their wedding anniversary, the visit intensifies the couple’s long-running psychological battles. Geoffrey Streatfeild joins the cast as the visiting friend.

Strindberg’s Dance of Death remains a central work of modern drama, depicting marital conflict as a sustained psychological struggle. The play is widely regarded as a darkly comic examination of intimacy, power, and emotional endurance. See what the critics are saying...

Aliya Al-Hassan, BroadwayWorld: Lisa Dillon is juicily sarcastic as Alice, conveying her distain through a clipped voice and small hand gestures. She has brilliantly toxic chemistry with Will Keen as Edgar, who comes across as both a monstrous parody of Basil Fawlty, with a depth of painful selfishness that becomes almost breathtaking in its cruelty. Keen shows huge range in the role, bellowing one moment and then icily quiet. Sparks fly, as you really feel the extent of the hatred the characters feel for each other.

Arifa Akbar, The Guardian: Because this production really is a two-hander in spirit, balancing the question of who is the protagonist and who the antagonist within the marriage – and the drama. Keen and Dillon bring such spark and mischief to their parts. You laugh at each of them, but feel for them too. He exudes pursed-lipped stoicism until his lashing out; she is childlike in her spite yet you suspect she is the real victim here.

Nick Curtis, The Standard: Will Keen brings an aggrieved pugnacity to Edgar, the ailing, petty-minded and domestically tyrannical captain of an island artillery battery. Lisa Dillon is pert, peremptory and self-seeking as Alice, the former actress who married him in the hope of advancement and has never forgiven him for their lack of social progress. Geoffrey Streatfield – whose very name suggests a sort of wearied decency – is Alice’s visiting, unhappily divorced cousin Kurt, caught in the middle of their power games.

Chris Abbott, West End Best Friend: The play ends where it started, with these two figures trapped in a joyless marriage and, in this production, sitting exactly where they were when the piece began. This is an extremely satisfying production of a difficult play, enhanced by detailed, bravura performances, and led by a director/adapter who has created something quite remarkable. 

Dave Fargnoli, The Stage: John Leonard’s sparse, effective sound design surrounds the loveless house with the steady crash of waves, mournful gull cries or the tramping boots of soldiers on patrol. These distant shouts heighten the chilling aura of social isolation around Alice and Edgar, driving home the play’s message that the couple – unable to change their habits or maintain ties to their community – have become trapped together in the strange, cold comfort of their shared misery.