Duplicity, Substance and Shadow Theatre, Barnfield Theatre on Friday 14th and Saturday 15th February
By Jenna Richards
Convincingly portraying two different characters with no costume changes and no camera trickery is an ambitious undertaking – luckily Midge Mullin in Duplicity pulled it off with ease.
The fantastic new play from Substance and Shadow Theatre was showing at Exeter’s Bike Shed Theatre ahead of its two night run at the Barnfield in February and it was a real treat to be in the audience.
Duplicity is set in 1977 against the volatile backdrop of the punk rock explosion and follows identical twins Tommy and Finbar Kelly as their sense of reality and self disintegrates into a maelstrom of anarchy, chaos and disorder.
Punk music was also key theme Substance and Shadow’s previous production, Skin Deep. As Fabie, played by Joana Crisostomo, opened the show and I wondered how, with the sparse set and very minor costume changes, Duplicity would be significantly different from what came before.
But my scepticism was misplaced because no sooner had identical twins Tommy and Finn, both played by Midge Mullin, taken to the stage it was clear that Duplicity very much had its own identity – even if the twins didn’t!
What impressed me most about Duplicity was the ability to conjure up a full set, bustling with imagery and action, using one man and some all-consuming dialogue.
Midge Mullin, alone on stage, changed characters by donning glasses and adopting a hunched stance. He told the story of Tommy and Finn with language so vivid it was like watching a film – a mark of a great actor and some intensely complimentary writing.
However, my favourite character was the slightly smarmy Leonard Silver, played by Nathan Simpson. His over exaggerated, gangly movements and wildly over the top, sometimes comedic persona, made him a delight to watch. He was entertaining, emotive and utterly believable.
That said, I wondered what the point of the character Fabie was, for me the she wasn’t explained and I felt I was missing something. She opened and closed the play but I don’t think anything would have been lost had she not been there. And I was desperate to know how the story of Tommy’s girlfriend Ultra Violet ended, but was left wanting.
But these minor points didn’t really detract from what was an outstanding play; I was struck by the quality of writing and acting. It is so much harder to play to a small, very close audience with a sparse set and very few props, but Substance and Shadow make it look easy.
Written by Rosie and Midge Mullin, Duplicity explored themes of identity, duality and deceit using monologue, interwoven with action, projection and music and finished off with some remarkable acting and a gripping story.
Duplicity is well worth going to see, make sure you catch it at Exeter’s Barnfield Theatre on Friday 14th or Saturday 15th February.