Review: Apex Predator (Hampstead Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Plays about vampires in London are like buses – as well as two coming along at once, they also drain the life from you and occasionally come with an overwhelming smell of garlic. As Dracula: A Comedy Of Terrors continues its run at the Menier Chocolate Factory, another play hoping to take a bite out of the vampire market (is there a market?) is the world premiere of Apex Predator, now nestled in to Hampstead Theatre. The question is – would it suck?

Apex Predator tells the story of Mia, a mum who is going out of her mind with a new baby in a flat with neighbours who won’t turn their music down. After a visit to the school to discuss her son, Alfie, Mia strikes up a friendship with his teacher, Ana. However, all may not be as it seems, and with mutilated bodies appearing in the Thames and people going around thinking they’re vampires, things take an unexpected turn – all the while keeping one foot in reality as you question what is actually real and what is imaginary.

John Donnelly’s writing blurs the conventions, mixing together differing genres and themes. With drama, comedy and a supernatural thriller all in the mix, his writing asks questions about empowerment, the super-strength new mums are expected to have with even a bit of climate change and humans digging their own graves for good measure – all quite light-hearted, isn’t it? Well, it really is – Donnelly peppers the play with humour with the first laugh-out-loud moment coming in the opening moments. His ability to weave a narrative balancing darkness with the light creates an unpredictable and fast-paced watch that never lets you come up for breath.

Running at just 1 hour 40 minutes including an interval, each act averages 40 minutes and is relentless in its pace. Establishing the characters, it is admirable how much we get to know them, particularly Mia, given the relatively short runtime. As act one builds to a climax where the real story unfolds, act two is a whirlwind adventure culminating in a disorientating finale that leaves you questioning everything you know right until the final moment. Apex Predator is bold and unashamed in its approach, aiming to provoke an extreme reaction in its audience. In that sense, it is inevitable not everybody is going to enjoy it with a style that will undoubtedly prove divisive. To this reviewer, however, I absolutely loved it – with all its twists and turns leaving me on the edge of my seat. Though certain elements could have used the teensiest of tightening up, the fast pace and enjoyable nature of it made this a real winner in my eyes.

Equally impressive is the staging. Tom Piper’s design doesn’t attempt to fill the entirety of Hampstead Theatre’s main space, surrounding it with scaffolding and leaving an intimate and claustrophobic space in the middle for the action to take place. The use of moving walls transforms the action through the various setting in a visually thrilling production that uses Jack Knowles’ lighting and Christopher Shutt’s sound design to create an atmospheric experience. Reminiscent of 2.22 in certain design elements, particularly in sound, the eerie effect it provides amplifies the supernatural and even horror elements to this versatile play.

Chief in the success of Apex Predator is Blanche McIntyre’s inspired direction, taking all of these production elements and somehow tying them together to make some sort of cohesion and sense of the often-conflicting styles and narrative. Perfectly in tune with Donnelly’s vision, this helps the fast-paced nature of the play and provides some ingenious moments.  The biggest of these comes towards the end of act one – without spoiling anything, it sees a character leave the stage in a surprising way only to reappear at the other side mere moments later. You have to see it to truly understand what I mean here and to appreciate it, but this showcased McIntyre’s direction at its finest in what has to be the single most breath-taking moment I have ever experienced at this particular theatre in all my many trips over the years.

Sophie Melville leads the cast as Mia, taking on a demanding role that requires her to balance the extremities of her new unexpected situation. Mixing the humanity with the supernatural, she showcases a mother on the edge and a woman struggling to know her place in this world anymore with the sense of power and sporadic uncertainty. It’s no tall order, and even when the show dips slightly, Melville’s performance remains captivating. Though underused, Bryan Dick gives Melville plenty to work with in their scenes together as her husband, Joe, while Leander Deeny takes on a wide variety of roles in frequently funny portrayals that all seem to end the same way.

After a solid turn in 2.22 A Ghost Story, Laura Whitmore once again proves there is more to her than simply a TV presenter, once again impressing with her acting abilities as Ana. Enigmatic and charismatic, she is thrilling to watch throughout with a charm that pushes the story along and elevates the material. The cast is completed with Mia’s son Alfie, shared by two young actors across all performances but played by Callum Knowelden at this one in an accomplished portrayal despite the demands of the story.

Apex Predator is a strange beast of a show. If the thought of it being about vampires doesn’t appeal to you, it is much deeper than that, using the supernatural element of the story but filling it with gritty realism in a story that blurs genres as much as it does reality. Though it could benefit from being fleshed out a bit more and certainly won’t be to everyone’s tastes, the biting dialogue, great direction and fantastic performances won me over and left me thirsty for more.

Apex Predator plays at Hampstead Theatre until 26th April. Tickets from www.hampsteadtheatre.com

Photos by Ellie Kurttz