Preview: LUDS Presents Pool (No Water)

LUDS’ latest production of Mark Ravenhill’s Pool (No Water) is perhaps the group’s most ambitious play yet. Catching up with director Danny Partington ahead of the show’s debut on Wednesday, The Tab investigated just how the play was going to turn out.

Pool (No Water) follows a group of artists who visit a former friend who has far surpassed them, before she jumps into an empty swimming pool.  “The group exact their self-loathing, their jealousy, their hatred onto her broken body while she’s in a coma. It becomes quite a gripping and dark play” says Danny of the play’s plot.

It’s definitely a controversial play for LUDS to take on. “Mark Ravenhill is a very provocative writer, I read a lot of reviews [of the original run] and lots of people said it’s not a nice place to be inside his head” says Danny. “I’m feeling a lot of pressure but its not necessarily the provocative nature, I think it’s the fact it’s so contemporary, which is what theatre needs to do now; that’s what engages an audience”.

The play has no character names, no indication of who says what, or even of how many characters there are, and The Tab asked just how Danny was going to approach things as a director. “No two versions of the play are the same” he says. “You can have as many characters as you want.”

“Theres been a lot of experimental thoughts with character, movements and sound and lighting, so we’re pushing the boundaries hopefully. We’re doing stuff that’s never been done before, we’re trying to be quite fresh with it” he continues.

As for production values, LUDS are keeping things low key. “Because theres nothing given, you can have the most lavish set in the world or the most basic and both would be valid. The play doesn’t need anything really, that’s one of the joys about it, you can just do it through depth of character.”

Playwright/madman Mark Ravenhill

LUDS are going for a character-driven, performance with Pool (No Water), as well as taking a cue from the play’s original run: “It was initially done by Frantic Assembly who are a physical theatre company so they did a lot of movement and stuff beyond the text” says Danny. “LUDS doesn’t do that many physical plays so its an opportunity for us to throw things in there.”

LUDS have definitely taken on a challenge with Pool (No Water), but if Danny’s character-driven, physical interpretation of such a loose script pays off, it might just be their most interesting play yet.

Pool (No Water) begins this Wednesday at the Stanley Theatre. More info can be found here.

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