Brutal and Brilliant from All Angles

It's always a gamble seeing a play whose reputation precedes it, especially one that doesn't quite follow the usual storyline conventions found on the West End. You know you're most likely going to love it or hate it, much like the Broadway transfer of Hand to God, which garnered up a mix of reactions well before its opening night. And so I entered the Wyndham's Theatre to watch People, Places & Things with an open mind - I was hoping I'd leave enlightened but was secretly also prepared to not have my socks blown off.

And to tell the truth, I can't say how I felt, though my theatre partner and I did head straight to the nearest bar for a glass of wine to help us process our thoughts - ironic considering the play's core subject is alcohol and drug abuse. There's no denying that there's magic in the production, watching Emma fight her therapist, her fellow rehab patients, her mother and, most often, herself. It's more than voyeurism - Gough's performance is so raw and openly emotional that her struggles become a vicarious war the entire audience shares alongside her.

I feel the play really excels at two things - the first is the portrayal of an addict at the darkest point in their struggle trying to wrestle the part of themselves that wants to get better from the parasite of addiction. And for this we can thank director Jeremy Herrin and Movement Director Polly Bennett's beautifully physical interpretation of the script, where Emma writhes and skulks and storms, in some moments filling the entire stage with her presence and in others retreating so far inside herself that the void surrounding her seems metaphysical.

The second thing the play excels at is the hardest to stomach, and only really hits you in the superb scenes at the end where Emma confronts her mother. Despite all the confessions and intentions her therapy sessions at rehab manage to extract from her, the only thing that can truly save Emma - or indeed us - are our actions. And although we may derive support from friends, family, a higher power or an AA group, we are completely alone in being responsible for the actions that determine the course our life takes.

It's a shame People, Places & Things is only scheduled to run until mid-June as this is the sort of play you'd need to see twice in order to appreciate all its sublime innuendos and brilliant, though often acerbic, quotes. I can see it transferring to Broadway and possibly even returning to the West End. In fact, I'm sure there's already a queue of newcomer and established actresses eager to get their teeth stuck into this extremely demanding role - a role Denise Gough has more than just made her own, she's made West End history in her perfect portrayal of an imperfect person.

Reviewed by Wendy fynn

Tuesday 5th April 2016
Wyndhams Theatre, London
Find me on Twitter: @_londontheatre_

View our show pages for more information about People, Places and Things, Wyndhams Theatre.