Being an actor is one of the toughest areas of work to get into, no matter how experienced you are. The audition process in itself may be different each time, but one common factor that never changes is the hand of fate. An actor is either right for the role, or not at all. Being Seen was an intriguingly comic insight into the world of auditions and the relationship between actor and director, which explored not only how the actor feels during the process, but also how if a director was allowed to voice their unspoken, raw thoughts in the audition, would things change for the better?
Richard Gustin writes in a style that flows well with a good balance of comedy, absurdism, and psychological exploration of human interactions. It felt like this particular audition had various scenarios of outcomes combined as the actor was put on edge constantly by the director’s somewhat unique approach to this plot. At times it was uncertain what the purpose was for Being Seen as many subplots came to the surface rather abruptly, seemingly for purely comic purposes. As things progressed, it became evident that this audition had more interesting layers to explore, which Gustin brought to the surface through directing the piece as well. It became a work of art that explored how fragile the human psyche is, no matter whether you resonated with the actor, or the director.
Being Seen is a very well-constructed layered play that had two very strong actors bring it to life. Kelly Anne Clark’s actor had the recognisable nervous energy every actor has in an audition room, yet also clearly tapped into the comedy side of her character as she allowed herself to be free in heightening the energy of her character, as well as satirising how an actor portrays a character badly. On the whole, Clark approached the actor with the right quirkiness and energy needed. At times, it felt as if she was constantly stuck on one high level as the intensity built and needed to allow a bit more variety in places to make the character less of a caricature and more rounded to engage us more. She was balanced out by Will Clinger’s mysterious, enigmatic director, who was not afraid to be brutally honest, challenging and extremely insightful. Clinger brought a good amount of gravitas as he became the perfect puppet master in this scenario, throwing so many curveballs to the actor to change their thought process and reset the mind to become a blank canvas to move forward. The only thing to mention here is that whilst I understand why the director had to be hidden in the audience throughout most of the play before he stepped into the light so the actor eventually saw his true identity, we wanted to see more of him. Needless to say, the chemistry between Clark and Clinger, whether apart or together, was one that was full of respect for one another and showed complete trust in their respective actions. This was an intricate, complicated relationship to showcase, and they did it with a lot of passion for their craft, which shows clearly on stage.
Whether you resonated with these flawed characters or not, Being Seen was a testament to being authentic in who they were, no matter how many faults they respectively had. This was a universal piece that explored the difficulties everyone faces in life and the secret hope that someone sees that little part of them that is hidden and accepts them completely.
Review by Sascha Cooper
An actor answers an audition notice and encounters a highly acclaimed director who is perhaps more than they can handle. Wits and instincts collide as the actor manoeuvres through the web of the director’s process. As fast-paced comedy with a dark underbelly written and directed by Richard Gustin and produced by RG Productions making their European debut.
Acting Company:
The Actor – Kelly Anne Clark
The Director – Will Clinger
Production Team:
Director/Producer/Writer – Richard Gustin
Stage Management/Co-manager – Lydia Goble LaGue
London Publicist – Matthew Parker
BEING SEEN
OSO Arts Centre, 49 Station Road, Barnes, London SW13 0LF
5 to 9 March 2025
