Dominic West is superb in the title role, scarcely off the stage, it’s in many ways a brute of a part and despite slight moments where you felt he might be about to forget lines (forgivable given how early in the run I saw this and how many lines there are) – he was utterly compelling throughout. Though I’ve seen suggestions that Butley is a deeply unsympathetic man, that wasn’t my experience. He has that edge of Bernard Black about him and in truth, I believe, the more awfully he behaves (and there are some horrifying moments in here) the more you actually like him. It’s a roguish childishness that we often admire and secretly might wish to emulate and West captures that element perfectly. It’s also difficult not to revel in the cleverness and language of the character, the quotes and references.
West is supported with several other excellent supporting performances, with Emma Hiddlestone, Penny Downie and Paul McGann particularly impressing. Though in some ways it is a shame that none of these roles give the actors enough chance to shine – they are bit parts stepping in and out of Butley’s self-created drama and though in my experience that’s very true of the character and fits well in the play, given the calibre of the actors involved it’s hard not to feel a little cheated.
My favourite performance of the night, however, had to be Martin Hutson as Joey. Partly this is because the character resonated strongly for me, but it’s also because he so convincingly inhabited the complexity of his relationship with Butley and the subtly altered his behaviour depending upon whom shared the scene with him and West. From mildly reproving arbiter in front of Edna, to ill behaved child and conspirator in front of Reg, and frustrated lover when they were alone.
Which seems as good a place as any to confront that issue of him as Butley’s lover. As I don’t think that’s entirely true, at least not on a physical level. I was surprised to find the character defined in so many settings firmly as Butley’s lover, from reviews to the dreaded Wikipedia articles, though perhaps this is simply my ignorance as I’ve not seen the film. For me the relationship was something far less normal. In many ways the ultimate extension of the homosocial relationship – a relationship that Butley has shaped to exactly mimic a marriage but without the sex. It’s very unhealthy and battering for Joey who was pursued and in all likelihood expected and wanted more and one he can’t escape from because Butley draws him back again and again. It’s also one I suspect that Butley would deny but relies upon. It’s a bit twisted and I loved it – it added a needed human element to the play for me. And I thought it was played superbly by both actors.
A fantastically interesting production and one I hope to get the chance to revisit once they’ve settled in a bit more.
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