Paten Hughes and Robert Sean Leonard in Interview [Helen Murray]

TEUNKIE Van Der Sluijs’s contemporary adaptation of Interview, the late Dutch director Theo van Gogh’s 2003 film, translates surprisingly well to stage – thanks in part to strong performances and Derek McLane’s terrific set.

Set in Brooklyn, Katya (Paten Hughes), an influencer turned actor, is about to be interviewed by jaded political journalist Pierre Peters (Robert Sean Leonard). He’s reluctant to be there, viewing the celebrity profile as beneath him, but he’s fallen out of favour with his newspaper editor.

Over the course of 90 minutes, played out in real time, they circle one another, each trying to gain the upper hand: Pierre hopes for a quick scoop; Katya tries to protect her personal life while constantly projecting herself on Instagram.

The suggestion of erotic intimacy doesn’t quite land, but Katya ratchets up the tension when she proposes a dangerous game of confession.

We are reminded of the relentless churn of social media, as texts, emojis, hearts and other messages appear on the back wall of Katya’s New York loft apartment (meticulously created by McLane with projection design by idontloveyouanymore).

The camera is ever-present in Van Der Sluijs’s slick production: Katya streams herself and turns it on Pierre, in an attempt to control the narrative.

The play explores authenticity and truth in the digital age, the nature of celebrity, and the rise of influencers – particularly the impossibility of truly knowing someone who is always curating their life or performing for the screen. Pierre, too, is caught in a performance, clinging to an identity he no longer inhabits: the heroic war correspondent.

Interview doesn’t always deliver, but both Hughes and Leonard offer nuanced performances.

The power games are well executed and there are enough twists and surprises to keep us absorbed throughout.

Until September 27
interviewplayonstage.com