There have been countless plays and films about
teacher-student relationships. In the theatrical world, David Mamet’s Oleanna particularly stands out. Matt
Parvin’s Jam, then, isn’t the most
original setup.
The slight twist is that the 23 year old Kane (Harry Melling,
best known as Dudley Dursley from the Harry Potter films) is returning to his
school ten years after he was a student there. He was a difficult child at
school with ADHD, who made a big impact on his teacher’s life. Now he appears
unannounced at the school to haunt her, claiming he’s dying from a brain
tumour. But is he lying? What does he really want? Is he a ghost from the past
come to terrorise, or an angel come to impart wisdom for the future?
Bella (Jasmine Hyde) is not as innocent as she seems. Initially
on edge, she just as easily manipulates Kane and hides her prejudice beneath her
kind teacher exterior. Did she have a hand in his behaviour? Or was she simply
ill-equipped to deal with his condition?
Jam is a power
play between these two characters, though it doesn’t quite hold tension throughout.
The script meanders through idle chat that doesn’t always serve the narrative,
though it does take the audience for a ride of peaks and troughs. Plenty of
themes are covered, from its central focus on teacher-student relationships, to
abuse and violence, living in the moment, and coping with mental health. It’s just
not as taut as it could be to keep the audience truly on the edge of their
seats throughout.
The play is led, though, by two performers who act with such
visceral energy from every inch of their bodies. It’s almost as exhausting to
watch as it is for the actors – in a good way. They are the perfect foil to one
another and as their passions escalate the play hits a shocking climax. Hyde’s
Bella is like a coil: highly strung, uptight and devastating when she unfurls. She
is just as unpredictable as Kane, both manipulator and victim, fond yet fearful,
compassionate yet full of contempt.
Melling is wholly convincing as Kane, a man with a multitude
of issues. It’s a complex performance both physically and mentally, innocently
fidgeting with his clothes and then bounding around the cage-like stage like an
ape. We, like Bella, never quite know where we stand with him as he fools and
manipulates us. We care for him and fear him in equal measure – something that
continues long after the lights fade.
4/5
Watch: Jam runs at
the Finborough Theatre until 17th June.
Photo: Mathew Foster
