Theatre / 60 min / £14.50(£13), £13.50(£12) / 14+
Showing @ Pleasance Courtyard, 2-27 (not 13), 15.40
It was hard to ignore society’s violent undercurrent mapped out by Burgess in his clockwork classic after last year’s riots. His prowling dystopian vision seemed to materialise in front of our very eyes, tinted with red-flamed fury. Alex Spencer-Jones returns with an all-male adaptation of Burgess’ novel, revealing a pulsating and sexually-charged centre. Indie rock, club-pop and classical music all overlap to transform the stage into a gangland of fleshy, blistering skirmishes. It is bludgeoning theatre, raw and electrifyingly feisty. The production does get lost in its own experimentation though, as choreographed routines are a little West Side Story, and all the topless torsos start to feel superfluously gratuitous. It is bold and provocative to watch, yet evades the true depth and intelligence required to penetrate Burgessian thought.