Switzerland is a slow burner thriller

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

Auckland Theatre Company

Switzerland by Joanna Murray-Smith

ASB Waterfront Theatre

Until October 7

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

Patricia Highsmith is one of the few twentieth century crime writers whose work has transcended the genre, creating a body of work which deals with the complex mind of the murderer /  psychopath. With many of her Ripley  books, unlike most crime writers she creates a seemingly mundane environment with only a hint of suspense into which she inserts sudden moments of terror as Tom Ripley shows his true self.

With Tom Ripley she created a character who was both intelligent and unpleasant suave and self-conscious. He is the arch manipulator who spends most of his time creating the environment for his crime.

In her play “Switzerland” Joanna Murray-Smith has a young publishing executive from New York visit the writer in her modernist alpine hideaway. He has come to persuade her to write a sixth novel featuring her iconic anti-hero – an idea she is opposed to and has previously rejected.

Highsmith takes an instant dislike to Edward and their conversations become a duel of wits as she and Edward do a complex  literary dance around her lounge / study.

She allows Edward  to stay the night on the condition that he invents the means of murder for a storyline featuring Ripley which the two of them have developed.

They traverse many topics related to publishing, the creation of character,  the nature of crime fiction and the impetus to write. We get a portrait of the writer set within with a Highsmith story line.

We get a sense that there is more to Highsmith’s rejection of the idea of bringing to life her Tom Ripley just as there is more to Edward’s doggedness in convincing her of the need to give the character a new outing.

Sarah Pierse’s Highsmith is brilliantly acerbic, her witty ripostes recalling  Oscar Wilde- “I’m not ignorant, I’m just mean” “I can tell you have an inquiring mind but an inert imagination” – and she has opinion on a range of people and issues – Kurt  Vonnegut, Tom  Wolfe and Francis Bacon. She shows her unpleasant nature when she expresses her dislike of victims an admiration for  murderers. She becomes animated when she discovers that Edward has had a violent and unhappy childhood.

Jarred Blakiston’s Edward is intelligent and unpleasant, suave and self-conscious, slowly revealing complex dimensions to the character. He also introduces a couple of disturbing he alluding  to Highsmith previously threatening one of her publishers with a knife and Edward wonders whether the author has entered his bedroom.

Murray-Smith has created brilliant Highsmithian dialogue, director Sarah Goode a suspenseful atmosphere and Miichael Scott-Mitchell a perfect interior set.

Switzerland is a slow burner thriller with excellent casting, superb twists and turns of plot and a riveting dialogue.

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