Go See
The King's Head Theatre
17th November 2014

★★★☆☆

"Just remember, it's not a lie if you believe it." Nope, not the Dalai Lama nor art teacher-cum-novelist-cum-model-cum-playwright Norris Church Mailer. Not even her husband, renowned writer Norman Mailer. But one George Costanza, the modern-day Pinocchio from the sitcom Seinfeld. But even he would probably balk at the deception going on in Go See, a 75-minute two-hander by Norman's sixth and final wife that touches on gender politics, the sex trade and out-and-out duplicity.

It starts as all great love stories do - with a visit to a strip club. David (Peter Tate) is a respected anthropologist and Marie (Lauren Fox) is a girl who performs in one of those private booths with one-way glass that would have saved Paul Reubens a day in court. The intellectual with the indistinct accent begins to interview her about female sexuality, the subject of his new book, and the Texan girl capitulates... to some extent. But when he's not exactly overawed with her response, he takes drastic (read: vaguely psychotic) action, throwing himself in front of her bike and introducing himself as someone else. She couldn't see him, remember? As I said earlier, Romeo and bleedin' Juliet.

From then on out, we get to the crux of the themes. How much do we give away in order to seek love until it becomes manipulation? What's binary sexuality anyway? Who is the real person? With regards to recent the recent Dapper Laughs and Gamergate furore, is the horribly-named "slut shaming" on a par with, say, homophobia? Duality of meaning, duality of the self, etcetera, etcetera. This is only concreted by Marie introducing herself to David's "Paul" as "Michelle" and seeming to be an altogether hoopy frood compared to Marie's deeply troubled self.

And this is one of the sticking points with the piece. As much as it's cliché or gauche to say "writer of gender X isn't great at writing characters of gender Y", it's sort of true here. Despite Sondra Lee's solid direction, David comes across as somewhat of a psychopath in the charming Nigel Havers as Corrie's Lewis mould. Compared to a broadly drawn and largely sympathetic Marie - even considering her prejudices - David is manipulative, calculating and cruel, despite a last-minute attempt at redemption. It becomes less about two characters who could help each other were the circumstances different and more about one constantly with the upper hand, leaving a bad taste.

Another issue is the blackouts. I'm not one usually to say they make or break a piece however when you're sitting in darkness for the best part of a minute at times (I timed 46 seconds without any action in one instance) there's a problem. They latterly try to wallpaper over this, having lines delivered offstage or as leaving, but if that's the case, I dread to think of the length of the scene changes otherwise.

And it's a shame as for the most part, Lee does present something considered with the economical yet fitting space the King's Head provides. Painted red flowers give a nice backdrop, especially to the seedy lighting of the strip club. The segmented space that, by the end, runs into itself is a gesture towards the shades of grey of true identity. And regardless of dodgy accents, the pair give it their all even if they don't truly spark as a couple.

Is it a "go see"? Only in the play's definition - that is, "Go see if you like it". It's certainly not a "must see", for this humble theatre servant at least. More a nicely put together curate's egg from which a little chunk of the life of Mailer (still the female one, do keep up) can probably be inferred. At the very least, go see the show that's divided a fair few critics and feel free to agree or disagree, for that is your wont.

Go See opened on 12th November and runs until 29th November 2014 at the King's Head Theatre.

Nearest tube station: Highbury & Islington (Overground, Victoria)