There’s something fascinating about the game of an interview: the push and pull of questions, the possibility of revelation or deceit. It is in this dance of power that Teunkie Van Der Sluijs’s adaptation of Theo Van Gogh’s 2003 film finds its thrill – albeit in scattered flashes. Reimagined for a modern-day setting, with reference to viral content, curated online profiles and followers, the play asks what it means to be truthful in a world of pretence.
Old-school political journalist Pierre (a commanding Robert Sean Leonard) begrudgingly arrives in Brooklyn to interview the social media and film star of the moment, Katya (Paten Hughes). Meanwhile, the place he actually wants to be, Washington DC, spins into a political frenzy over the impeachment of the US vice president. Before even meeting his interviewee, Pierre has dismissed Katya as a vacuous, fame-hungry influencer. But as the evening rolls on, he realises she may be sharper than he has given her credit for.
