Switzerland is an unusual play. Marketed as a “gripping psychological thriller”, the play presents itself more as an in-depth character study, with a slow burn simmering underneath. It’s the type of play that is a challenge to pull off as it relies so heavily on its actors to make up for a script that doesn’t bring in much on its own. However, Laurence Boxhall as Edward and Toni Scanlan as famed author Patricia Highsmith are so strong in their roles that they make this Ensemble Theatre production shine, perhaps more than it should. 

The play follows American author Patricia Highsmith, infamous for racism, antisemitism and other forms of bigotry as well as her classic Tom Ripley novels. After retreating as a recluse to Switzerland, a publisher, looking to convince Highsmith to write a final Ripley novel sends the bubbly but seemingly ineffective Edward Ridgeway to try his hand with the difficult writer. Unsurprisingly, this initially does not go very far but Ridgeway reveals himself to be a big fan of her work and eventually, they begin to plot out the ending to her novel together. As Ridgeway becomes more confident, and the play heats up towards the thrilling ending promised, the audience is left guessing up until the very last moment. 

The problem with a quasi-biographical play is that it is ultimately restricts the playwright to the confines of the person discussed. While playwright Joanna Murray-Smith does deviate from history somewhat, there is a lot of time spent setting up Highsmith’s hatred of various things which, while ultimately consequential, takes a long time to reach of point of any significance. Additionally, other aspects of Highsmith’s life remain rather untapped, especially her sexuality, which is only briefly mentioned but yet is an integral part of her story. 

To those unfamiliar with Highsmith, this means the action slows somewhat at the start when the scene is being set, resulting in a beginning that is difficult to piece together. But as the play progresses, the two performers step into their element, feeding off each other in a form of contrapuntal magic and take the production to the next level. 

Scanlan is thoroughly unlikeable as Highsmith, and does an extremely good job of engendering simultaneous disgust as well as a hint of empathy from the audience, who engage with her love of knives and connection with killers, as disturbing as it may be. Boxhall is an absolute star as Edward, with his transformation throughout the play thoroughly engrossing as he engages increasingly with Scanlan. The two actors never lose focus throughout the play and their chemistry is phenomenal, most notably in a thoroughly disturbing scene at the end of the production. 

The atmosphere is further enhanced by exquisite direction and set design. Director Shaun Rennie does a fabulous job pulling the play together, with his directorial vision which forces the audience to confront the tension between morality and darkness coming through clearly. Veronique Benett’s set design is also stunning, with the backdrop of the Swiss Mountains visible from the top of the stage but it is her lighting that really shines. Her use of shadows towards the end of the play was as gripping as it was chilling and complimented the actors in high-octane moments. It was the small touches that took this play up a notch when it really mattered. 

This is a play that feels as though it is meandering before suddenly dialling up the heat at a pace so frenetic it is almost impossible to keep up. As gripping as this is, ultimately, it is heavily reliant on the skill of the actors to ensure that the production is a success. It is a testament to the mastery of their respective crafts that Boxhall and Scanlan do this so effortlessly in such a challenging work. Their performances are worth the price of admission and contribute to what is a fascinating character study and meditation on the human psyche. This is a play that subverts expectations at every moment, perhaps not the perfect script, but with the quality of performers behind it that this production has, it is a play that is certainly worth seeing. 

Rating: ★★★★1/2

Switzerland plays at the Ensemble Theatre until 8^th June, 2024. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Brett Boardman