The Forest

Slick and captivating from start to finish, ‘The Forest’ is a psychological exploration of male infidelity in an affluent French family. Zeller’s new play premieres at The Hampstead Theatre with a translation by Christopher Hampton and an impressive British cast including Gina McKee, Toby Stephens and Paul McGann. They do not disappoint.

Pierre (Toby Stephens) is a successful surgeon with a beautiful, sophisticated wife (Gina McKee), grown up children and a gorgeous home. When he becomes embroiled in an affair with a feisty younger woman (Angel Coulby), his world and his mind begin to unravel. ‘The Forest is a place where a man gets lost because he has followed his desires.’ says Zeller, Pierre’s girlfriend Sophie, the white stag who lures him in.

There’s nothing new about this story, with its very traditional gender politics and family dynamics. However as the pressure of Pierre’s double life intensifies things get more interesting. An office/interrogation room is revealed and Paul McGann appears as ‘Man 2.’ Is he a friend, a hit man or more likely Pierre’s Alter ego, representing the splitting of his psyche as he struggles to unite two selves? As the drama begins to complicate, it produces a tantalising knot of character and plot to unravel, rich with mythic illusions and surreal imagery.

Jonathan Kent’s production pulses with delicious menace even when all seems well. Playful as much as it is macabre, it sits firmly on the entertaining side of unsettling. There is a pleasant sense of confusion as Pierre’s disintegrating sense of self is felt by the audience through scenes twisted and re-played. Anna Fleischle’s design is stunningly precise and detailed with the family home, his girlfriend’s bed-sit and the interrogation room of his psyche living in one neat dolls-house.

Toby Stephens gives a gripping portrayal of a man whose privilege saves him from total collapse and Zeller’s exploration of guilt and lies feels fresh and sharp. What feels a little tired are the roles of selfish, unfaithful man, ‘mad’ sexy other woman and long-suffering wife. That said, Gina McKee manages to imbue the long suffering wife with far more layers than are written. I only wished she’d reveal a great secret of her own.