Rebus: Long Shadows
****
The New Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 5 Feb
On a cold, dark and wet February evening, the bright lights of Cardiff’s New Theatre shine like a lighthouse in a bleak and tempestuous squall. Ironically, no sooner are punters warm and dry inside the foyer than they’re standing around eagerly awaiting a dreariness of another kind – to be swallowed up into the dark heart of this stage adaptation of Ian Rankin’s, Rebus: Long Shadows.
Having written 20-plus novels spotlighting his most famous character – the world-wearied, ex-SAS-slash-detective, John Rebus, this time Rankin has decided to team up with award-winning playwright Rona Munro in order to bring his man to life for his big stage debut.
Enjoyable for fans and newcomers alike, Rebus: Long Shadows requires no prior knowledge, though common characters appear throughout.
Opening with a chance meeting between Rebus (Ron Donachie) and the 17-year-old daughter of a murder victim from an historical unsolved case (Eleanor House), Rebus is confronted with both his personal shortcomings and the fallibilities of what are now outmoded investigative techniques. Though not responsible for solving the crime, he soon starts receiving disturbing visions of the girl’s dead mother (also Eleanor House), chastising him for ignoring her plea to bring her killer to justice. Overcome with a sense of existential guilt, enquiries are made though soon Rebus becomes aware of another historical case currently being brought to trial by his ex-colleague, Siobhan Clarke (Danny Heron). This time, however, his past actions could jeopardise the whole affair.
Although a fantastically-written and acted piece of theatre, keeping up with the play’s dialogue can at times be rather labour-intensive. Throw in a series of thick Scottish accents, along with the occasional cough or sneeze, and suddenly you’re left wondering if you’ve missed an important plot twist. This aside, visual scenes involving the haunting spectres of the murdered girls as they stand half-lit and bathed in ethereal light are particularly well done. In addition, the play’s musical score – atmospheric and infused with a decisive Celtic lilt – also adds to the moody timbre of all that’s going on inside Rebus’ head.
Whilst the series isn’t known for its joviality, the play does have periods of comic relief. Since Rebus himself ages in real time in conjunction with his first appearance in Knots and Crosses in 1987, we find him here as a portly, out-of-shape, 60-something retiree whose acerbic wit and ignorance of the ever-changing world around him make for a lovable and charming character. Despite being a shady ex-detective, Donachie gives a great performance of displaying Rebus’ commitment to justice and the well-intentioned conscience that belies his finger-twisting, scrotum-crushing interrogation techniques and the crude language that accompany his fervent quest for answers.
Perhaps worthy of comparison to a scene in Michael Mann’s Heat, the show’s crowning glory is arguably found in the tête-à-tête between Rebus and his arch-enemy, Cafferty (John Stahl), with whom the conclusion of both cases finds its terminal point.
Dark, comic and cerebrally challenging, Rebus: Long Shadows makes a worthy stage debut. However, if you’re looking to relax and leave your brains at the door, this probably isn’t for you.
Rebus: Long Shadows is at the New Theatre until Sat 9 Feb. Tickets: from £11 Info: www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk
words Oliver R. Moore-Howells