Review: Masterclass (Jack Studio Theatre)

Review by Sam Waite

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Acting, we’ve been told countless times with varying levels of context, is reacting. So it only makes sense that those who devote their lives to the craft might have dramatic, overblown responses to one another, and that a meeting between two actors in what becomes a high-pressure situation could be explosive. That ideas seems to run beneath the surface of Masterclass, Tim Connery’s new comedy-drama about technique, connection, and leaving a legacy to be proud of.

Times are tough for Shakesperean thespian and former film star Roger Sutherland, who has found himself renting out a primary school classroom for his discreetly advertised, name-omitting masterclass. Proving that the arts are no kinder to the younger generations, Australian child star turned struggling London actor Gary Brock is the only person to turn up for that day’s session, keen to sharpen his craft before a performance that night. Hoping to find a career resurgence as an adult actor, Gary is instead performing in “a room in a pub in an inaccessible part of town,” cue the laughter from the crowd at Crofton Park’s Jack Studio Theatre.

Running at around an hour and a quarter, Masterclass is set predominantly during the titular lesson, and director Luke Adamson ensures that the class neither drags on nor flies by too quickly. Adamson keeps the pace solid rom start to finish, and maintains a delicate balance between the two characters’ more “actorly” and intense moments, ensuring that neither feels like a second fiddle to the other. He also provides the production’s lighting, which is remarkably effective in creating a strong opening moment within an intimate space, and providing a secondary setting for a final, flash-forward monologue.

That final scene, unfortunately, proved to be a major point of contention for me, one which I struggled to shake off following the performance. Connery ends the masterclass session itself on such a strong, thoughtful note that the final scene – which I’ll say nothing about, no spoilers here – feels unnecessary and somewhat intrusive to the audience’s own imaginings of what followed. The playwright obviously has a strong idea of who these two characters are, particularly at the point where they come into one another’s lives, and I only wish he had allowed their personalities and foibles to come across without the need to put such a firm full-stop on what became of the pair.

Alex Dee brings a good deal of stuffiness to Roger Sutherland, old fashioned in his approach and in his attitudes towards those around him. Whether referencing Olivier’s words to Dustin Hoffman (the famous, “have you tried acting”) or breaking into Shakespearean soliloquys simply to prove his pedigree, Roger is a familiar figure of his era, one who many in the audience will find a real-life counterpart for, and Dee impressively brings a real humanity to the part, especially when sorrow creeps in and his reasons to desire a lasting legacy become more apparent.

Opposite him, as the more down to earth but equally eccentric Gary Brock, Karl Lucas does well as both a foil and a reminder of how the times have changed. His utter conviction is what makes his devotion to a method-esque practise of “be what you are” all the more entertaining, and he manages to sell Gary’s refusal to conform to school-time expectations without it coming across as rebellious for the sake of rebellion. Ambitious where Roger is already defeated, and brash where his older counterpart would expect humility, Gary is a larger-than-life character grounded masterfully by Lucas’ performance.

The pair’s chemistry is also solid throughout, their back-and-forth debates so convincing and their joint learning experience so convincing that it helps to sidestep the sometimes-perplexing ease with which they open up to one another. There are missteps in Masterclass both as a text and the production itself – repetitions that may be deliberate but simply felt redundant or lacking variation, monologues passionately given to the audience despite being part of a real conversation with someone their back was firmly to – but the double act of Dee and Lucas offer enough energy and passion that these become easy enough to look past in the moment.

Imperfect and open to further learning, Masterclass meets its characters on their level, and allows the audience to see them as both larger-than-life caricatures of two generations of performers, but also as scared, eager-to-impress human beings. Masterclass is intimate, inviting, and for the most part a joy to watch.

Masterclass plays at the Jack Studio Theatre until January 24^th

For tickets and information visit https://brockleyjack.co.uk/jackstudio-entry/masterclass/

Photos by The Bridge House Theatre