Kingdom of Earth

Tennessee Williams was one of the major American playwrights of the previous century, and would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year if his hedonistic lifestyle of drink and drugs had not brought about his unfortunate demise. To celebrate the milestone, Notting Hill theatre company The Print Room is staging a production of Kingdom of Earth, which has not been performed in London since its premiere at the Hampstead Theatre in 1984 – a year after Williams’ death.

The play, which originated from a 1942 short story, is set in a lonely, dilapidated 1960s farmhouse against the backdrop of impending flood. Lot (Joseph Drake), who is struggling with illness, returns to the farmhouse where he was born and his beloved mother died, along with his just-married bride Myrtle (Fiona Glascott). But Lot’s half-brother, Chicken (David Sturzaker) is hiding in the kitchen, and the two men are immediately at odds over both the fate of the house and Myrtle’s part in it.

Kingdom of Earth has humour and wit to burn, but its explicit erotic content meant it was unpublished until 1954, and Williams did not transform it into a play until 1967. Sexual mores have clearly moved on since then, but the audience will still raise their eyebrows at a couple of points during the show.

All three actors acquit themselves well, with their performances showing that Lot, Myrtle and Chicken are not what they appear to be, and that hidden motives lurk beneath the surface. Sturzaker is especially good as a man who has been continually passed over but is now seizing his chance to take control.

The set can best be described as a slope of dirt with a few bits of furniture, which does triple duty as a kitchen, a parlour and an upstairs bedroom. That description really doesn’t do it justice, as the spartan design proves to be effective. Giving the impression that the actors are in different parts of the house is the important thing, and the set certainly achieves that. The cracking dialogue also helps, as your eyes are always on the actors, not what’s around them.

Kingdom of Earth runs until 28 May at:

The Print Room
34 Hereford Road
Notting Hill
W2 5AJ

Tel: 08444 771000

Image courtesy of Shelia Burnett