ED2015 4/5 Reviews ED2015 Theatre Reviews

The Communist Threat (Rusted Dust)

By Sarah Murphy | Published on Friday 28 August 2015

As two MI5 agents drink gin and shoot one-liners in a Viennese basement, the word ‘Pinter-esque’ goes off like alarm bells in the collective audience consciousness. Yes, it’s a formula, but it’s a lively one, with all the snarky, back-and forth deadpan you’d expect. Kieran O’Rourke plays a working-class Northerner with the ambling ease that we’re right to expect – or are we? Twist upon twist upon triple twists abound – the predictability just makes this all the more fun. ‘The Communist Threat’ invites you into a world you’ll already recognise well if you know the genre, one where you can sit back and chuckle amusedly, as with a BBC period drama. Any fans of Cold War-era films will be in heaven here.

Zoo Southside, until 31 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Sarah Murphy]