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★★★½
Playhouse East is a new independent theatre and creative arts hub in East London that recently opened on the Kingsland Road. This month, the American Theatre of London’s inaugural production is based at the venue, with the company staging Lee Blessing’s 1989 psychological thriller ‘Down the Road’ for a few weeks. Centring on serial killer William ‘Bill’ Reach (Joshua Collins), the play sees journalists and married couple Iris (Annelise Bianchini) and Dan (Aaron Vodovoz) head across the country to interview the criminal and write up his story. Living out of motel accommodation for an extended period, they quickly realise that interviewing the murderer is affecting their personal lives. For this revival which has been directed by Tracey Mathewson, the narrative has been moved to the 21st century, paving the way for some important discussions about society’s fascination with true crime and the differences between sharing a story and commercially benefitting from it.
Staging and set design
It is immediately apparent from the moment that you enter the performance space that this production is not confined to a stage in a traditional sense. There are two locations positioned at the centre of the rows of seating: the prison interview room and the motel bedroom where the journalists retire each evening. In each scene the actors move between the two spaces, with darkness masking the movements. Given the genre of the play, the absence of light allows the creative team to trick the audience and build suspense, playing with the idea that even though serial killer Bill Reach is locked up, the journalists can’t get him out of their heads. It leads to some chilling moments and a handful of jump scares, made even more frightening thanks to Katren Wood’s set design.
Contemporary context
Whilst the play was written in the late 1980s, the company has moved the production to the 21st century and for me, this is where the material falls short. Society has changed so much since then – particularly in relation to how information is readily available online – and it is difficult to believe that Bill Reach would be quite such an under explored figure in a modern-day context. With the popularity of true crime podcasts, YouTube documentaries and the role of social media, lots of people play detective and spend time looking into cases. In some ways I would have preferred to see the play revived in the original time period, as then you could understand why the journalists go to such lengths to tell this gruesome story.
Character development
The evolution of the characters is one of the most intriguing elements of the play. The terrifying Bill, played convincingly by Joshua Collins, clearly rustles the journalists. As a result, their personalities and married life end up changed forever, influenced by the psychological impact of their time with Bill. Even though I found this part of the play to be particularly impactful, I would like to have seen more focus on the changes in Iris and Dan. There are moments where the cracks start to appear, particularly in the recorded impressions at the end of each day, but the zigzagging between the terrors of the day and their aspirations for family life makes it difficult to truly appreciate the impact on their lives.
Final thoughts
Despite my thoughts on the modernisation of the context, this is certainly a thought-provoking play that makes you reflect on how society reports on criminals. On many occasions I found myself shaking in my seat, proving that the creative team and cast have paid due attention to creating a disturbing atmosphere. ‘Down the Road’ is based at the venue until 29th March 2025, with tickets available via the venue’s website. The company is raising funds for a domestic abuse charity at the end of the performance and hoping to reach their target of £1000 by the end of the run.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
*My ticket for ‘Down the Road’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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