Horne's Descent

 

Rating: 5 Stars

Red Lion Pub

4th April 2024

WARNING! CONTAINS SPOILERS

With a puff of cigarette smoke, and a burst of a long forgotten Jazz album, modern London is replaced with one staggering out of the smog of the First World War.

Set somewhere in the early 1920’s, ‘Hornes Descent’ follows the struggles of Peter Horne, a returned trench fighter set on taking holy orders. What follows is a gripping delve into the battle for one mans’ soul. Miranda Cattermole masterfully transforms the upstairs of the Red Lion Theatre into a convincing upper-class, early 20^th Century Parlour (AKA Our battle ground spiritual battleground for the evening). From the moment you step into the admittedly small space you find yourself transported to a time of immoral lavishness set against the closing screams of bitter conflict.

But who are our combatants in this spiritual no man’s land?  Alexander Hackett brings the aforementioned Peter Horne to life, masterfully mixing sophisticated mortality and caddish charm. There are pleasing tones of both Tom Ellis’ ‘Lucifer’ and Aidan Turners’ John Mitchell, in Hacketts’ portrayal, as he dances the fine line between salvation and corruption, turning from the faithful mouthpiece of God to a man with a desire to sin.

Acting as the two pillars of morality that Mister Horne swings between are our talented female cast, Cici Clarke and Bethany Slater. Clark takes on the role of the host of the evening, London socialite, Etta Florence, while Slater portrays her dangerously sultry niece Mary. Both women perfectly encapsulate the two extremes Horne is battling against, one righteous and the other sinful. Whereas some actresses would risk falling into parody with these roles (it’s no easy task playing the devil and God), Clark and Slater give a masterclass in subtlety, gradually bringing out their characters true identities. Their final scene where they discuss Hornes’ final fate, and place wagers on their next battle is a true delight (I did warn you there would be spoilers!)

However, for me the star of the show was undoubtedly Magnus Gordon, who portrayed Albie, Hornes alcoholic friend. Not only does Gordon portray an utterly convincing drunk, but he does such a good job at making Albie a completely punchable b***ard that it’s a shock to realise we  feel sorry for him when his character meets an untimely end at the hands of his best friend (Again Spoilers!)

‘Horne’s Descent’ is a fascinating, deep dive into the corruptibility of humanity, featuring first class performances from a cast of talented performers, and gripping dialogue from Nina Atesh masterfully pulled together by director Chloe Cattin. If any show deserved a transfer this surely does.

Reviewed by Alexander Wright