While the foundation of Blackheath is a very simple premise, what weaves this play together is catnip for anyone who is a fan of family dramas. Written by Alex Bower and directed by Hamish Clayton, Blackheath begins with arrival of Eddie (Barney White) at the flat of his brother Mike (Andrew Hawley). From the start we can tell there is some tension between them, but on the surface there are polite pleasantries. Once Eddie has spent enough time there to view the flat ‘from top to bottom’, it doesn’t take long for Eddie to ask the question Mike has been most dreading: “Who else lives here?” Eventually the answer is pried from Mike: “Jo” (Charlotte Brimble) – Eddie’s childhood ‘friend’…

On the surface much of the play’s tension lies in the fact that all the characters (at least initially) ‘plays their cards close to their chest’. Also, before we even begin to discuss the brothers’ respective history with Jo, there are so many other layers to address. Through Bower’s compact writing, we organically see a long list of differences between them – how they each grieved (if at all) for the death of their mother; the ‘ethics’ of their respective careers; their respective attitudes to money; pastimes; healthy living – the list goes on and on.  By the time the truth (or versions of the truth…) come out, the audience has subconsciously assimilated the different issues, opinions and experiences that makes each character ‘tick’.

While Blackheath is undoubtedly a work of fiction, I’m willing to bet that anyone who goes to see this play will recognise at least 90% of the issues and attitudes portrayed in their own lives.

As Eddie, White gets to portray the most ‘complex’ brother. Over the course of the play, the ‘freedom’ that Eddie has, (compared to Mike’s regimented self-restraint) is a double-edged sword and doesn’t stem from a wellspring of emancipation. Certainly, Eddie has the play’s most memorable lines, but even when he plays it ‘cool’, ‘still waters don’t run beneath the surface’. As Mike, Hawley demonstrates an orderly existence built upon long-term planning and self-sacrifice. While not overtly referenced throughout the play, we sense that as a wealth fund manager, Mike’s job is very stressful and is just ‘one bad day’ away from falling apart – only he doesn’t let himself get to that state because trying to ‘pull himself back together’ would be 100x harder than ‘holding it together’…

Under a lesser writer and director, Jo could have been a ‘cipher’, an ‘ideal’ like the fabled Helen of Troy, whose interior life we know nothing of. Brimble’s Jo is empathetic and searches for a meaningful career that will make a difference to people’s lives. In that respect, she is like Eddie and this is just one of the many reasons why he is non-plussed that she and Mike are an item. However, her ‘driven’ quality and willingness to back up her new venture with hours of preparation at the weekend marks her as having some of Mike’s qualities too. This is doubly perplexing for Eddie, as he has to reconsider whether Jo was ever ‘his’ in the first place or whether spending time with Mike has ‘changed’ her…

Blackheath is a rich play and it says so much about communication (or the lack thereof), mental health and family dynamics. Also, when it comes to the exchanges between the characters, it doesn’t disappoint by being unrealistic or not addressing the heart of the matter.  Definitely a contender for one of my favourite plays this year.

© Michael Davis 2024

Blackheath ran at the Old Red Lion Theatre from 7th to 10th August as part of the Camden Fringe Festival.