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Review: New Crusoe
(Mon 23 November 2009)
What is a man? What is a man washed up on a desert island with only his ‘trusty Samsonite' to keep him company? If he is Hugo Robinson, he is, first of all, himself: a middle-aged, self-satisfied, scholar; a member of Western intelligentsia and affluence, whose attitude and character traits are, to the audience, at times all too recognisable.

Ton Theo Smit's new play ‘New Crusoe' (the name the lead character gives the desert island; ‘Nieuw Loevenstein' in Dutch), written for the Mare Liberum Festival, directed by Ellis van Maarseveen, tells the story of Hugo Robinson, portrayed by actor Edmund Dehn, a philosopher and lawyer, exiled on a desert island by Somali pirates. Robinson proceeds to ponder the situation in which he finds himself, as well as his own existence. The arrival of Osman (a Somali pirate; his former captor), Razi (a Kurdish refugee - Philippe Rachid Ivanov) and Belle (an attractive, blind young woman - Emmeline Prior) on the islands in three separate stages marks the beginning of a process covering themes from Grotius' Mare Liberum, analysing ‘the (in) justice of the rule of law' and resulting in murder.

‘New Crusoe' shows the audience the effects of solitude on the human psyche - it shows how much we need human contact. Although not explicit in the play, one had the sense of ambiguity regarding the 3 characters appearing one by one, as if conjured up by Hugo's mind; solitude forcing Hugo's discourse with himself to take physical form. Different areas of the human psyche appearing as the 3 visitors: Osman, the aggressive subconscious; Razi, the rational, assertive and mysterious; and Belle, the very embodiment of a man's desire for companionship, in the broadest sense of the word.

‘New Crusoe' is a cleverly put on, entertaining, yet intricate mix of a psychological drama, history and contemporary polemical issues, such as international piracy on the seas. Through the character of Osman, the audience is confronted with the other side of the law: that of perpetrator, the pirate. Lionel Leeuwin's portrayal of the Somali is sublime, showing the audience a person hardened by the horrors of life and reality, allowing one to understand just exactly how someone in such a position sees the world and why. This makes the character, to an extent, frighteningly relatable. Osman is every bit as chilling and ruthless as he is sleek, charming and witty. Leeuwin is nicely complemented by Dehn's performance of Robinson.

The rivalry between the two characters on stage has the spectator no edge; there is a sense of impending, inevitable conflict. This conflict is partly illustrated by Osman and Robinson's arguments about the principles of law, justice and injustice, leading to elocutions of a highly philosophical nature, delivered by Dehn with humorous all-knowing, Western, professorial hautain.

The highly legal philosophical side of the play can be considered rather ‘heavy' stuff, sometimes succeeding more in confusing than clarifying and drawing attention away from the actions on stage. Although some additional effort is required from the audience, this is also part of what makes ‘New Crusoe' intriguing and refreshing: the audience, in that way, in the impressive surroundings of the Supreme Court, becomes intensely captivated by the events unfolding in front of them.

Even more than most plays, location is crucial to ‘New Crusoe', giving the play a chameleonic nature due to its various locations - each location having significance with regard to Grotius. The effect is that with each different location, different themes of the play will be highlighted; the words will be the same, but their meaning will have changed. While the Supreme Court location, a first in theatre, emphasises the importance of the debate about law and the contemporary aspects, the Museum location, overlooking the expansive North Sea, may highlight the psychological nature of the play.

The play gives lieu to much food for thought. ‘New Crusoe' is a play that requires a second viewing: ideally, in one of the other locations to experience the full breadth of its scope. Its versatility, humour and edge make it most enjoyable and certainly worth it.

The play is still to be seen in The Hague on 24th, 25th and 27th November at Museum Beelden aan Zee or the Supreme Court of the Netherlands. For tickets and more info www.theenglishtheatre.nl / http://tusktheatre.net/

Inyaki Magno