EVENT REVIEW BY GARETH K VILE.
PUBLISHED 14 AUGUST 2006
Exposing corrupt US policy in South America, 'Devil's Advocate' is hampered by a Freed's verbose script. Set in Noriega's final hours of freedom, when he was chased into a Catholic sanctuary and assaulted with loud rock music, it is a chamber piece revolving around the justifications given by the general for his brutal reign.
A Jesuit Archbishop becomes Noriega's mediator and confessor: they argue theology and American foreign policy to a soundtrack of machine gun fire and hard rock. Noriega comes across as victim, then genocidal maniac: the Archbishop is well-meaning but naive. Neither performance convinces.
A Jesuit Archbishop becomes Noriega's mediator and confessor: they argue theology and American foreign policy to a soundtrack of machine gun fire and hard rock. Noriega comes across as victim, then genocidal maniac: the Archbishop is well-meaning but naive. Neither performance convinces.
Ignatius Anthony's Noriega has an uncertain accent and over-emotes while Peter Dineen's Jesuit is mannered. The script sacrifices characterisation to polemic. When Noriega explains the drug war's economics, it is difficult to decide whether he is insane or the writing is incoherent.
This is a brave attempt at explicitly political theatre, recontextualising a notorious dictator. Unfortunately, the drama is overwhelmed by commentary: although the intention is clear, the reasoning never clarifies the background. Failing to innovate, the political passion is mismatched with conventional staging.
This is a brave attempt at explicitly political theatre, recontextualising a notorious dictator. Unfortunately, the drama is overwhelmed by commentary: although the intention is clear, the reasoning never clarifies the background. Failing to innovate, the political passion is mismatched with conventional staging.
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