Factors Unforeseen - Review (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Factors Unforeseen - Review

3:40pm Wednesday 6th May 2009

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Factors Unforeseen, Orange Tree Theatre
Factors Unforseen may have been written way back in 1969 and re-worked by its author Michel Vinaver in 2006, but this pacy, multi-faceted play could easily have been penned in the last month or two, such is its relevance to the current global economic climate.

The play moves from an office in Cincinnati to a factory in France, via a TV studio, an airport and numerous conference centres along the way, to tell the story of a family run ointment business that is bought up by an American firm. After a change of name to Bronzex, executives are soon basking in their financial success, only stopping to argue over whether to change the name of their popular suntan lotion from Tantastic to Tantalise.

Everything is running as smoothly as the lotion until a beautiful Princess who is dieing of skin cancer starts appearing on telelvision to discuss her illness. The wheels quickly come off Bronzex's lucrative business and a succession of executives are handpicked to take over the poisoned chalice of running the failing company until the workers finally revolt and the American's run out of patience.

Director Sam Walters has spoken about the challenge of taming Vinaver's unwieldly beast of a play and he has done an excellent job in creating a coherent and thought-provoking work that cannot fail to resonate with any audience member who has experienced the effect of the credit crunch in the workplace or at home. The play highlights all the absurdities and hypocrisy that connive within big business and a cast of twenty work hard to come up with distinct characters that compliment rather than detract from or outshine one other.

However, Factors Unforeseen doesn't only challenge its director and cast - it is a tale told in a jagged and unusual style and at an hour and 40 minutes straight through it openly dares the audience to stick with it. If you are prepared to take up the gauntlet you will be rewarded - unlike a Bronzex shareholder.

Will Gore

Factors Unforeseen, Orange Tree Theatre, until May 30, orangetreetheatre.co.uk

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