Four Minutes Twelve Seconds Alma Tavern Theatre Review

Four Minutes Twelve Seconds Alma Tavern:

Saturday 12 January at 19.30pm

James Fritz’s play is an interesting twisting and turning tale of power, relationships and the social media dangers caused by the naivety of both young people and adults.

Seventeen-year-old Jack’s mother Di, comes home one evening to find her husband David, downstairs with her son’s blood covered shirt. Immediately, she springs into protective parent mode. Who would hurt her son and why?

Jack is never present throughout. Although he is the subject of the story, he is never the focus. This play is about the shifting balance of power within families as well as the wider community. It pits class against class and looks at misperceptions between young people and adults. Right and wrong becomes blurred and by the end, true colours start to show.

During the two hours, under director Charlotte Hobbs’ taut direction, the audience are immersed into a drip-feed mystery about the origins of a sex video made between two teenagers and how it ended up online for the world to see.

As Jack’s girlfriend, Tace Rogers as rough around the edges Cara, was sublime as the rowdy Southmead teen. She knew the helplessness surrounding her situation was inherently unfair, but was also able to bring out the subtleties of power she could wield.

Michael Pring as apparently henpecked husband David, played it nicely understated from the start, though by the end, I wanted dark horse Di to divorce him.

It was certainly a play that brought out audible audience reactions to ongoing revelations. Rebecca Parr got anxious mother Di, spot on. It was every middle class mother’s reaction to protecting her child.

With bucks being passed and blame being shifted, Louie Wanless’ Nick, was the delightfully levelheaded voice throughout the growing drama.

The play was staged by Bristol based West Acting Workshop and produced by Lisa Hamilton-James.

For more information, visit: www.westactingworkshop.co.uk

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