Theatre Review: A Number, The Old Vic

Image Credit: Manuel Harlan

★★★★

Parental mistakes, human identity, nature vs nurture. These are themes explored with a beauty and honesty in Caryl Churchill’s 2002 play, directed in 2022 by Lyndsey Turner, starring Lennie James and Paapa Essiedu.

Exploring nature vs nurture, and questions of what makes us an individual through the lens of cloning, Paapa was gifted with the chance to show his incredible range across three characters. Two Bernard’s - both introspective, but one gentle and smooth where the other is brash and abrasive. And Michael Black, an American teacher, who stands juxtaposed to his clones, with a total lack of introspection. His comedic timing is second to none, and his transitions from vulnerability to vengeful were masterful.

Lennie as Salter is an inspired performance. It would be easy to play this role as a sort of mad scientist, who played with peoples lives. But that’s not what we get at all, instead we get a man - a father and a husband - weighed down by the guilt of his past choices and what they cost him, who wanted a chance to do better, to be better. A man who spent his life trying to avoid confrontation, finally having to confront the magnitude of the choice he made to get his second chance, we watch him struggle to navigate the vulnerability and honesty that requires.

Lennie James and Paapa Essiedu are a powerful duo in this revival of A Number, 2 decades after it was first staged. They work beautifully together, and the father-son dynamic being believable relies entirely on their chemistry together. Their respective rhythms as actors compliment each other, and creates a fluid, poetic, element to the performance. I would love to see them work together again one day, on stage or on screen.

A number is on at The Old Vic, London until March 19th 2022, with tickets from £12-£65.