Blood Confession
Despite being described as a ""Hitchcockian no-holds-based thriller,"" Nick Awde's creation lacks the all-important element of suspense
| 14 Aug 2007
Lured to a deserted police station under false pretences, two Catholic priests are forced to face up to a dark secret from the past. As a pair of menacing detectives reopen a case regarding the “accidental death” of a boy in their care, it doesn’t take long to work out that the emerging truth will reveal some paedophilic foul play.
This is precisely the problem with Blood Confession. Despite being described as a “Hitchcockian no-holds-barred thriller,” Nick Awde’s creation lacks the all-important element of suspense; every twist and turn carved into the plot is more predictable than the last.
The premise, to explore the hypocrisy and corruption within the Catholic Church and the justice system, is interesting and topical, particularly given the Roman Catholic Church of America’s recent $2 billion payout to victims sexually abused by the clergy as children.
But in practise the play disappoints due to the one-dimensional characterisation which pervades the script. The theme of hypocrisy, personified by the pious Father Michael whose faith in the sanctity of religious confession allows him to disregard a crime of child abuse, is dealt with rather too bluntly by Awde, who misses the opportunity to create a more believable character tormented by conflicting loyalties. Similarly, the intended volatility of the two officers’ behaviour as they veer from friendly to frightening is so utterly unconvincing that the dialogue becomes almost laughable at the drama’s darkest moments.
Due to a combination of awkward acting and bad choreography, even the gratuitous violence at the end can’t redeem this play.
This is precisely the problem with Blood Confession. Despite being described as a “Hitchcockian no-holds-barred thriller,” Nick Awde’s creation lacks the all-important element of suspense; every twist and turn carved into the plot is more predictable than the last.
The premise, to explore the hypocrisy and corruption within the Catholic Church and the justice system, is interesting and topical, particularly given the Roman Catholic Church of America’s recent $2 billion payout to victims sexually abused by the clergy as children.
But in practise the play disappoints due to the one-dimensional characterisation which pervades the script. The theme of hypocrisy, personified by the pious Father Michael whose faith in the sanctity of religious confession allows him to disregard a crime of child abuse, is dealt with rather too bluntly by Awde, who misses the opportunity to create a more believable character tormented by conflicting loyalties. Similarly, the intended volatility of the two officers’ behaviour as they veer from friendly to frightening is so utterly unconvincing that the dialogue becomes almost laughable at the drama’s darkest moments.
Due to a combination of awkward acting and bad choreography, even the gratuitous violence at the end can’t redeem this play.