Brenton is as political as Trevor Griffiths, and perhaps even further to the Left. Like Griffiths, he expresses strong dissatisfaction with present-day Britain but, instead of being naturalistic and relying largely on rational argument, Brenton's plays are fantasies, full of bizarre and theatrical visual effects. The dialogue is often artificial and surrealistic, attempting to show people as they really are, beneath the veneer of conventional behaviour and polite talk. Brenton is obsessed with the violence lurking beneath the surface of apparently respectable upholders of law and order, and with the way this suppressed violence brings the oppressed and the oppressor, the worker and the criminal, the politician and the policeman, closer together than is generally realized. The result is often extremely amusing, as well as frightening. (p. 207)
Brenton's first full-length play to be staged in London was Revenge…. Its characters and language are highly original, but soon became familiar as typical of Brenton's work. As in his later plays, there are criminals, prostitutes and policemen involved with each other in bizarre situations and using artificial language which is often very funny in its outspoken and exaggerated expression of thoughts which normally remain unspoken. Also, like Brenton's later work, Revenge is very theatrical. One actor has several very quick changes to 'double' the roles of Adam Hepple, a notorious ageing criminal, and Assistant Commissioner Archibald MacLeish, the detective who has always hounded him. This doubling, apart from giving the actor a chance to impress the audience with his virtuosity, also underlines the parallel between policeman and criminal. (pp. 207-08)
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