We round up the reviews for Indhu Rubasingham‘s revival of Ayad Akhtar’s play at the Kiln Theatre.
WhatsOnStage: **** “It’s the sort of juicy, thorny, knotty one-room play that gets the blood pumping – remarkable given that extended passages just see two men argue while looking at a laptop screen.”
The Guardian: **** “Indhu Rubasingham excels in her directorial signatures of pacy staging combined with clarity of narrative and characterisation.”
The Telegraph: ***** “Ayad Akhtar’s geopolitical thriller combines an edge-of-your-seat plot with big ideas.”
A Younger Theatre: ***** “The Invisible Hand is a play that relishes in its own complexity and ambiguity, leaves one feeling in equal parts satisfied, enlightened, and challenged. An engaging storyline and perfectly-cast company keep you guessing about its conclusion right up until its shocking and calamitous end.”
London Theatre1: **** “If you enjoy oratorical drama (like David Hare or Aaron Sorkin), you’re likely to be rapt by Ahktar’s erudite dialogue and trenchant quips.”
Broadway World: **** “As a whole, The Invisible Hand is not only informative about politics (the reference to Osama bin Laden as a cash cow for the Pakistani government puts his hiding in a different perspective), but opens a window on to the world of trading and its repercussions on real people. The result is a must-see in the current climate.”
Theatre Weekly: **** “Indhu Rubasingham’s direction is suitably edgy, and she effectively interjects each succinct scene with a blinding white light and ear-splitting screeching that is so intense it feels like a form of torture in itself.”
The Arts Desk: ***** “in Rubasingham’s capable hands, American Ayad Akhtar’s taut exploration of greed and blame still hits like a punch to the chest, ratcheting up the tension over two hours to an almost unbearable level.”
The Stage: **** “Fast-paced thriller that deftly demonstrates the direct link between boardrooms and battlefields.”
British Theatre Guide: “This is a drama with plenty of tension; there is an undercurrent of violence that is emphasised by the blinding light and noise that mark every scene break and allow characters to magically appear and disappear in a moment.”
The Daily Mail: **** “With sharp direction by Indhu Rubasingham, the evening thrums with tension and twists.”
Theatre Vibe.co.uk: ***** “The performances from all four are so convincing that we are swept along by the narrative. Indhu Rubasingham directs with great skill and Lizzie Clachan’s set is a grim prison brought to hope by the growing attachment between Nick and Bashir.”
The Invisible Hand continues to play at the Kiln Theatre until the 31st July.