Unicorn

Unicorn at the Garrick Theatre

Unicorn is a new play by Mike Barlett and directed by James Macdonald. It explores the development of the polyamorous relationship between Polly (Nicola Walker), Nick (Stephen Mangan) and Kate (Erin Doherty). Polly and Nick are already in a marriage with children, but their relationship is beginning to feel resentment and fatigue. As Polly astutely comments, 'if they don't take action now, Nick will inevitably cheat in a couple of years due to his discontent'. We watch them on the precipice, as they explore the boundaries of this new relationship and find their unicorn.

Kate is the plays unicorn. As she explains, it is a term that expresses the rarity of a female joining an already existing couple, yet this is the most desired addition that people are searching for. Kate enters the relationship as a willing participant, but making this relationship work is one that has to overcome external judgement, trust and internal expectations. The costume designer (Miriam Buether) does not portray Kate as overtly sexual or sexualised; she wears a high-necked t-shirt and trousers. Kate is not there to broaden the boundaries of their sexual exploration. She is there to be an equal partner. The costumes for the characters show them as mundanely ordinary. They would blend in in any room. They are not radical outsiders pushing boundaries. They are just like any one of us.

The stage design (also, Miriam Buether) gives the illusion of a globe or an eyeball. It shelters them and their relationship from the outside, giving them privacy and discretion. As they start to open up about the relationship and more people find out, the shield lifts too, letting all see. The outside world is allowed to come in.

The rainbow over the stage is reminiscent of an old wireless. There is something familiar about it, and it had me conjuring memories of programmes like The Good Life. It evokes the setting of an idealistic family unit from the 50s or 60s. Yet, this is juxtaposed with the rainbow shape, alluding to their relationship being under the LGBT+ umbrella.

The sound (Paul Groothuis) crackles and hums, initially adding to the feeling of an old radio station being tuned, the melodic twinkling of 'Daisy Bell' eases us into the play. As the scenes change, the song churns up again, slowly getting more distorted. By the interval, we are listening to the punk rock version of 'Daisy Bell'  by Blur. It gives a dystopian or unhinged atmosphere as the harmonious sound disintegrates, and so does our understanding of the bounds of a 'conventional' relationship. The home unit of man and woman, husband and wife, is being questioned and disrupted.

The script hovers around the importance of words and the lack of action. Kate is often just repeating 'words, words, words' (like Hamlet) or paraphrasing Wilde by saying that she is a 'verb'. Kate is always telling Nick and Polly what they are or how they should be. She acts as a mirror to the outside world, highlighting their insecurities. Kate reminds Polly that she is a poet, and it is what draws them together.

For Nick, Kate reflects a desire for him to be strong and dominant, which is against his natural tendencies. He lacks conviction through his indecisiveness and, in the first half, is portrayed as submissive and unconfident. It is only after time has passed and Polly's premonition has come true that in a couple of years, he has cheated, and their relationship has crumbled that he has the bravado to be assertive. As he has nothing left to lose.

The script is occasionally held back by the density of the language and its fascination with words. It reads well, but when put into action on the stage, there is a clunkiness to it, and the cast occasionally struggles to find the natural rhythms in the dialogue, making it begin to sound like a performance.

The trio maintain the pacing well, with Mangan breaking the beats of the sporadically rigid dialogue the best. James Macdonald has written a funny and thought-provoking play that, unfortunately, is a little too self-indulgent.

The play explores the boundaries and limitations of a monogamous relationship, but what prevails is that any relationship, regardless of the number of people committed to it, needs to have the same things: love, trust, honesty and freedom. 

Notable Names:

Nicola Walker (Polly)

Stephen Mangan (Nick)

Erin Doherty (Kate)

Miriam Buether (Set and Costume)

Pauk Groothuis (Sound)

James Macdonald (Director)

Mike Bartlett (Author)

Unicorn Venue:

Garrick Theatre

2 Charing Cross Rd,

London,

WC2H 0HH

Dates:

from 4th February– 26th April 2025

Unicorn Running Time:

2 hours and 20 minutes, including an interval.