Yen, currently playing at the Royal Court following its critically acclaimed run at the Manchester Royal Exchange, is a beautiful play. It tells the story of sixteen year old Hench (Alex Austin) and his thirteen year old brother Bobby (Jake Davies). With neither of their fathers in the picture, and visits by their troubled mother (Sian Brecky) infrequent, the boys are isolated and effectively feral, existing on an emotional diet of Call of Duty and internet porn. Into this bleak picture comes Jenny (Annes Elwy) who illuminates the boys’ life for a short while, with the fragile hope that she brings with her. Everything about Yen has this same fragile beauty, surprising in a play with such heavy subject matter. Anna Jordan’s writing is delightfully subtle, so necessary in avoiding self-indulgence and yet so rare. Ned Bennett’s direction is both innovative and consistent, with special mention needing to be made of the excellent work done by movement director Polly Bennett, particular in regards to the physicalities of Bobby and Hench.
This excellence extends throughout all aspects of the two brothers’ performance. Convincingly playing children is hard, and both Davies and Austin pull it off magnificently. Davies as Bobby is simultaneously delightful and terrifying, managing to be enchantingly childlike, but never childish. This duality; of danger and heartbreaking innocence, so important a theme in Jordan’s writing, is similarly embodied by Austin’s portrayal of Hench.
There is only one flaw in this gem of a piece, which is difficult to explain without plot spoilers. In brief, a very important aspect of the violent climax completely passed me by in the performance, realisation only dawning when I overheard a conversation in the bar afterwards. Upon reading the script it becomes clear that this is a result of the cutting of a scene in the second half of the show. This seems an odd decision that, alongside a rare lack of directorial clarity, meant that I missed something that I wished I hadn’t. It testifies to the quality of the piece as a whole however that this is the only criticism I have to make.
Yen is a deeply moving and revealing study into the downward spiral that ensues when we abandon our children. It does all that theatre should do. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Caryl Churchill’s new play Escaped Alone begins in the most ordinary way - Mrs Jarrett, a nosey neighbour peers through a garden gate and sees three retired women she has seen before sitting on a sunny day, enjoying some tea. They invite her in. They chit-chat. But this is a Caryl Churchill play, it’s never going to be that simple.