An investigative journalist’s attempts to discover if a historical friendship between two men was anything more than platonic reveal more than just a poignant story in this hard-working piece.
Written by George Grant, In The Cold Light is a promising and intimate piece that focuses on journalist Michael, whose fascination with uncovering the true nature of the relationship between two long-deceased men, acclaimed climbers Arthur Johnson and Andrew MacLeod, appears to be a coping mechanism following the death of his best friend, Danny. Yet as Michael throws himself deeper into the case, the lines between stories of the past and Michael’s grief in the present blur, leaving him with painfully unanswered questions.
It is a production that finds its feet as it progresses, with Grant’s writing sharpening in a mature and poignant final scene, culminating in a powerful conclusion. Yet it is also held back slightly by its structure. The play’s message is a noble one, but one which is also telegraphed a little too early. The repeated Zoom calls, too, between Michael and various characters who knew, or knew of, Arthur and Andrew are an understandable risk, and a necessary avenue for the investigation, but one wonders whether this could have been tweaked to avoid such repetition. There is strong writing in there, but Grant’s Michael works much better when he has a bit of momentum behind him, rather than the pre-recorded cues.
That said, as Michael, Grant roars and rages a little too intensely during his interviews, but understandably so as the climbers’ story gets a little too close to home. Some moments, like a dramatic throwing off of a tie, are a little too much, though still in keeping with the character. Still, others, such as Grant’s final monologue, are tightly refined and reiterate Grant’s abilities as a performer as well as a writer.
Alongside Grant, Clare Harbin’s Pam, Michael’s friend and new boss, bears the brunt of his rage in a contrived scene about DEI, which feels a little clumsy, though Harbin’s no-nonsense portrayal helps put Michael in his place.
When the piece is allowed to breathe, In The Cold Light shines with potential, with its focus on love and friendship, and its potentially painful intersection, deftly moving. With a little more refinement in this direction, Grant’s work can, much like Danny, leave an even greater legacy.
