The blade of revenge only sharpens over time. It’s a lesson Carmichael, an ageing man with an obsessive longing for his lopped off hand, shares with his audience in the dark comedy A Behanding in Spokane.
The story that unravels on the Junction stage on June 27, follows the run-in of Carmichael and lovebirds - and con artists - Toby and Marilyn, who insist they have the aged appendage in their possession.
Director Gautam Goenka, whose credits include One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, A Few Good Men, The 39 Steps and Almost Maine, says: “It [A Behanding..] is a pure form of entertainment. But I think the audiences can start to see how far people will go to get back something that is rightfully their own. One could argue there is an undercurrent of desire and aspiration by each character.”
Justin Cipriano, who plays Carmichael, says he prepared for the role by talking to himself in character, out loud. “People at the mall probably think I'm a character out of looney tunes by now! But if it helps it helps right?”
The black comedy has had a reputation for strong – sometimes unsavory language – since it opened in 2010. This telling promises the same dark humour. “The language is representative of the characters, their backgrounds and beliefs hence changing it did not seem right,” says Goenka.
Forget sanitization, after all revenge –especially an act of aged vengeance - can be a messy affair.
Don’t miss it!
Tickets to ‘A Behanding in Spokane’, which runs from June 27-29 at the Junction, are Dh100.
