CityLife

Detaining Mr K

THE chilling warning from James Douglas’ black comedy about detention without trial is that all it took was five years and an economic crash for Hitler to gain power and use the existing laws to stay there.

With continual homage to the nightmare world of Franz Kafka, an apparently innocent college lecturer (Anthony Bentley) is on the 27th day of his 28 days detention without trial.

He finds himself in an all-white room with the sinisterly jolly Pauline (Ruth Urquhart) who, while offering him tea and gypsy creams, seems to be preparing him for his release back into society.

But there are just a couple of things she wants to clear up first…

As the videos roll and questions are asked about the lodger who has bombed a hotel, the script raises rather more complex questions than it initially promises and convincingly points out the dangers, again, today, of making laws that could be subverted by those who are already gaining steps on the ladder to power.

Detaining Mr K is at New Century 1 until Sunday, July 26.