Simon Stephen’s adaptation of Men’s Business, based on Franz Xaver Kroetz’s Männersache, is raw, juicy and not so tender. Packed with violence, nudity and sexuality, Men’s Business takes a nihilistic head dive into a brutal love affair set in the backroom of a butcher shop. Rooted deeply in the European expressionist theatre in which Men’s Business was conceived, Ross Gaynor’s production offers a view into a turbulent relationship destined for a cruel end.
The play follows the love affair between the two, which seems to embody the antithesis of love”
Written to be performed on the Glass Mask stage, Stephen’s Men’s Business opens with a hypnotic punk song showcasing the incredible talent of the lighting designer Jess Fitzsimons-Kane. Here we meet our two protagonists in their chosen profession: Charlie (Lauren Farrell), a butcher, and Victor (Rex Ryan), a steel welder. We see Charlie desperately seeking a loving relationship with Victor, whose attitude towards her is, at best, uninterested and, at worst, cruel. The play follows the love affair between the two, which seems to embody the antithesis of love. Their relationship becomes more violent as Victor becomes jealous of Charlie’s dog (played by Spice the dog), whom he is convinced has some form of sexual or romantic attachment to Charlie. With Victor’s attitude toward Charlie growing more dismissive and abusive, Charlie’s ability to overlook his behaviour in the name of love waivers, leading to an ending that can be described as bloody, mutual destruction.
“Ryan and Farrell’s performances transformed the already intimate theatre into an almost claustrophobic space, submerging us into the lives of these two opposing characters”
Lauren Farrell and Rex Ryan deliver mesmerising performances. Farrell captures Charlie’s desire to be loved with a vulnerability that is both palpable and heartbreaking, even at the expense of her well-being. Rex Ryan’s embodiment of the ultra-masculine, abusive, more than likely Tate-listening, Victor is nothing short of outstanding. Filled with awkward silences, passionless sex scenes, and an abusive dynamic, Ryan and Farrell’s performances transformed the already intimate theatre into an almost claustrophobic space, submerging us into the lives of these two opposing characters. Director Ross Gaynor has once again created a dynamic and immersive production that you can’t look away from. After finishing its run in the Glass Mask Theatre on March 1, Men’s Business will travel to the Finborough stage in London.
