We’ve been having something of a Tamsin Greig retrospective of late, watching both Green Wing and Friday Night Dinner in quick succession. The Deep Blue Sea is, yes, a very different proposition. Absolutely phenomenal turn from Greig here - she’s obviously a very good comedic actor, but she’s incredible in a more dramatic role too.
She has a lot to do leading The Deep Blue Sea - there is heartwrenching desperation mixed with forced levity and incandescent anger. And she does it without breaking a sweat. An absolute tour de force to watch.
And it is heartbreaking, to watch the whole thing unfurl, but then I suppose I am bringing my own stuff to it too. But then, yes, that’s theatre, isn’t it?
The staging is quite something - I know this is not particularly unique to this production, but eventually realising that the ambient daylight from outside the window is, duh, lighting is a real testament to how immersive and engaging the whole production is.
The rest of the cast are also very good, to be fair to them - especially Oliver Chris (and of course yes it’s a deight to see those two on stage together post-Green Wing), and Felicy Montagu being arguably underused.