Michael Richard: of smarts and subtlety

There are five actors on the cast list, but for long passages it’s a two-hander, with Lucas locking intellectual horns with Nadia Blye (Jackie Rens), who is both an intelligent debater with contrasting views to Lucas’ and the girlfriend of the older man’s son Philip (Richard Gau).

“There are a lot of words and very little action, so people need to pay attention. To help with that, we’ve put a rake on the stage and lost the first row of seats entirely to help bring us right out into the audience,” says Richard.

The themes discussed in the play – including the 2003 invasion of Iraq by America – can be quite challenging to own for actors, particularly non-Americans.

“What is happening on stage is a very interesting dynamic. You really do wonder what Oliver is up to. Is he making a play for his son’s girlfriend while having this incredible talk about politics? The whole piece is about war without and war within. Everyone involved is damaged.

“The ‘vertical hour’ aspect refers to that moment on the battlefield where you can still make a difference if you provide treatment for an injured soldier.”

The audience is not provided with firm answers by the time the play ends, allowing for mental stimulation long after they have left the theatre.

“I like the journey of my character: from ‘charming but lethal’ to this man that has had a terrible thing happen to him and who has withdrawn from the world.”