The last time director Ivo Van Hove worked with Ruth Wilson, the result was an Olivier nomination for Wilson. Now the pair have reunited for the adaptation of Jean Cocteau’s The Human Voice, originally produced by International Theatre Amsterdam, and now playing an extremely limited run at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
Cocteau’s original 1930’s monologue has been given somewhat of a contemporary twist by Ivo Van Hove, although the problems of an old-fashioned telephone exchange remain for the initial cross-wires in the opening scene.
The central character is known only as ‘She’ and it’s a demanding role. She is on the phone to her lover for the very last time, he will soon be married to another woman and this call is what he has promised her as a parting gift. She’s utter despair is only compounded by an unreliable connection.
She spirals into a pit of depression, the audience only hears one side of the conversation, it’s disturbing at times, but clearly She has been treated very badly. The unheard man on the other end of the line appears to show occasional glimpses of compassion, but whether this is simply what She wants to believe is up to the audience to decide.
Ruth Wilson’s stage presence is immense, portraying a whole array of emotions, this seventy minute performance grips with every turn. Even when nothing happens (as it does occasionally) there’s such a sense of anticipation building that it’s difficult to ignore.
Cocteau did not make this monologue easy, but Wilson sails through it. At times Wilson disappears from our view, and all we are left with is the sound of a human voice, one that is suffering greatly and the fact that Wilson can achieve that without being seen speaks volumes.
Jan Versweyveld’s design bears a passing resemblance to Ivo Van Hove’s West End production of All About Eve, with Wilson effectively boxed in and behind a sheet of glass, heightening the voyeurism of the audience eavesdropping on this particularly traumatic conversation. When She opens the window, the sound design gives us a city soundscape, contemporary music also adds context, and the sound effect applied to the troublesome phone line makes the audience feel just as disconcerted as She.
The fact that The Human Voice is only running for 31 performances means that relatively few people will have the opportunity to fully appreciate the phenomenal magic that has been created by Ivo Van Hove, Ruth Wilson and the creative team. If you get the chance, this is one phone call you don’t want to miss.
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