After seeing Christian Patterson in both Blasted and the Dying of Today, all from the Other Room at Porters it is evident that he is a highly talented and diverse actor. He is able to take on both challenging roles and in terms of St Nicholas, really comedic roles as well. Patterson was able to get the audience fully immersed within the story. He made us laugh hysterically, he made us get on the edge of our seats with anticipation and most of all he made us fully believe every word that he was saying, he is a great story teller.

Photographic credit Aenne Pallasca

One of the reasons for the success of this play is that Patterson had an incredible script to work with. The play written by Conor McPherson had twists and turns and in some areas it was completely relatable too.

The subtle use of the lighting and sound within this play was perfect. The lighting  by Katy Morison, created a lot of naturalism during the first act and in the second act the hanging light bulbs were a great touch. One moment that worked exceptionally well was when Patterson grabbed hold of the standing lamp and used it like a torch; the shadows it created were beautiful, shining against his face in an eerie yet mesmerising way. The sound, design by Matt and Sam Jones, was subtle throughout the performance without much going on yet it gradually grew in tense moments and then it stripped it back to make the whole atmosphere intensely quiet.

Photographic credit Aenne Pallasca

Overall, even though this wasn’t as serious as the other plays the Other Room has taken on, it was a thoroughly enjoyable night.