Review: Cloud 9 (Lyttelton Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

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Any trip to the National Theatre usually carries with it a certain sense of intrigue and excitement the moment you set foot in one of their three glorious spaces. For their latest offering at the Lyttelton Theatre, that intrigue is heightened before you even set foot inside. One glimpse at the extra notice outside the doors instructs audiences that not only will Cloud 9 have a lengthier-than-usual interval (30 minutes), but all audience members will need to leave the theatre in the process, in a move I am calling “Hey, you, get off of my cloud”, but what is the reason for this, and could whatever it is detract from the actual enjoyment and success of the show? More importantly, would I leave this show feeling on cloud 9 myself, or would it be more a case of the heavens opening and a raincloud following me home (which genuinely happened, though we don’t blame the show for that)?

Written by Caryl Churchill, Cloud 9 is a story told in two distinct halves - the first is set in Victorian Africa, centred around patriarch and colonial administrator Clive and his family, as they struggle to deal with what has been expected of them, struggling to come to terms with their roles, dealing with their gender, sexuality and race. The second half transports members of the family 100 years later to 1970s London. With changing attitudes and freedom looking all the more promising, can they shape themselves into the people they want to be in such a differing climate?

It is an intriguing premise, and one that shines with its over-the-top theatricality. Act One is played out with such a wonderful exaggeration that plays out with comedic effect. The characters are big, bold and brash, accentuating the stereotypes that form the roles they have been given, regardless of whether they wish to have them or not. The “manly son”, the “devoted wife”, even a daughter so seemingly insignificant she’s not even human. It is playing up to these supposed conventions that brings the biggest intrigue to Cloud 9, with the risk of rebellion rearing its head throughout in multiple ways. They can be as subtle as young Edward’s liking of a doll to the bubbling aggression seen through Joshua’s eyes in the first act. It can be a tad hard to follow at times, with its brashness in tone surely making for a divisive watch, and for some interesting interval chatter. I never like to judge a show based on the first act alone, however, with the hope all would make sense in the second act.

After the aforementioned lengthy interval, everything had changed (more on that shortly). Members of the family were now in the 1970s yet only 25 years older than in the first act, with different actors playing different roles. It is an incredibly clever idea that speaks to the play’s message of not sticking to the role you are given - the family patriarch is now a young child, while the mother is now the adult son, increasingly more confident in his skin. This gender-blind casting is one of the strengths of Cloud 9, with Dominic Cooke’s inspired direction finding creative ways to bring the core themes of Churchill’s story to life. The brilliance of the changing roles even extends to members of the audience, who find themselves immersed in the story in incredibly close proximity as opposed to the spectators they were previously. I will talk about that more in a paragraph marked as a spoiler for those who would rather not know the surprise.

The second act certainly changes the tone significantly and serves as a great and clever parallel to the action of the first act. Those who were oppressed in the first act are now free to be themselves, and the journey of self-discovery is a beautiful thing to witness. Unfortunately, the second act does feel a tad disjointed in the grand scheme of things, struggling to add to the intrigue of the first and instead spending more time than necessary on several relatively thin storylines rather than bringing any more depth to it. Where I was hoping for some kind of payoff, Cloud 9 slightly outstayed its welcome, with the last 10 minutes failing to give the various strands and overarching story a satisfying climax, instead ending with a slight drizzle.

If you are wondering about the audience leaving during the interval (not for the reason they might leave for some other shows), consider this a spoiler warning for the remainder of this paragraph. Miriam Buether’s gorgeous set design cleverly demonstrates the empire and colonial nature of Clive in the first act, with a pristine proscenium arch and a sparse space surrounded by woodland. When the audience re-enters in the second act, this is no more. The arch has collapsed with its destroyed remnants visible on one side of the stage while the rest of it is scattered around, forming seating areas for audience members in the first two rows. An opulent red curtain has been torn down, creating a stark contrast from the visuals of the first act and a feat of staging genius. The progression in time and the sense that what may have been deemed acceptable 100 years prior is now no longer is brilliantly replicated in this contrast, with great recognition to both Buether for the design and Cooke for the direction.

Cloud 9’s talented cast all get to demonstrate their versatility by taking on two wildly contrasting roles each. Rebecca Humphries is at times withdrawn and at other times hysterical as Ellen, only to return confident and dominating as Lin in a strong juxtaposition. While Eloka Ivo’s Act Two character has a lot more freedom and certainty, it is the presence of his Act One counterpart, Joshua, that brings the most intrigue, providing a catalyst for key actions with his growing presence and increased tension.

Tom Mothersdale has two of the more insignificant roles as Harry and Martin, but portrays both admirably, while Charlotte Ritchie is a consistently strong presence as both Maud and Victoria. Ellen Robertson has two of the more interesting characters, particularly with her take on the repressed and occasionally confused Edward in Act One, only to bring some of those same qualities to his now ageing mother Betty in Act Two, with the increased discovery of her own self not so much a difference in characters but a clever parallel between two completely different ones.

There are two standouts among this fantastic cast, however. Sam Troughton is completely scene-stealing in both of his roles - first as domineering patriarch, Clive, whose larger-than-life presence and exaggerated nature threatens to set the tone into something more farcical, though he is somehow restrained just short of that due to his immense command on the stage. What I didn’t expect to see was the actor transformed into a 5-year-old girl in Act Two, but that’s what happens, with Troughton’s Cathy absolutely glorious for all his comic wonder. Though the sight of a bearded man as a small girl is initially funny, there is a strange believability to it all, particularly given the play’s themes of being true to yourself and in the right body.

Stuart Thompson is another highlight, first as Clive’s mostly obedient wife, Betty, always longing to break free, and then getting her wish as her grown-up son, Edward, who finally finds comfort in his own skin. It is an incredibly memorable performance, or more specifically, two memorable performances from a highly accomplished actor who sinks his teeth into both roles to resounding success.

Cloud 9 is certainly an interesting and unconventional show. Its radical approach is joyous to witness, with Caryl Churchill’s remarkable writing given a new lease of life through Dominic Cooke’s visionary direction. The stark contrast in themes in the two Acts has been heightened through Cooke’s choices to create one of the more unique productions of the year. This is a show that is sure to split opinion - there will be those that gel with it, and those that come out feeling rather cold. I fell somewhere in the middle, leaving the theatre slightly confused and feeling unsatisfied by its ending.

Every cloud has a silver lining, however, and Cloud 9 is the kind of show that lingers in your mind long after you leave the theatre, and the more I thought about its themes and the ingenious way they were realised on stage, both through staging and multi-rolling actors, the more wowed I was. It may have a few flaws still, but ultimately Cloud 9 has a strong sense of identity and knows exactly what it needs to do, even if it doesn’t always quite look the part.

Cloud 9 plays at the Lyttelton Theatre until 13th January. Tickets from https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/cloud-9/

Photos by Johan Persson