one4review | On 03, Aug 2025

A Cold Day in Hell is a powerful, but demanding piece of theatre, performed with relentless intensity by Nerses Avetisyan. Staged in a relatively large theatre, but unfortunately playing to a very small audience the day that I saw it, the show opens with a burst of physical theatre before settling into a dark, introspective monologue.

Charlie, the central character, sets up a camera to document his final day. His wife Betty lies in a coma after a car accident, and Charlie plans to switch off her life support and then take his own life. He is a man in deep psychological turmoil, unravelling as he justifies his actions, questions his faith, and struggles to make sense of grief, love, and guilt.

Performed in Armenian, the show uses projected English subtitles, but unfortunately these are placed too low at the back of the stage and are often obscured by the performer’s movements. The pace of the dialogue is fast at times, making the subtitles challenging to read, especially as the text gets smaller and smaller to cram in all of the words. The result is an occasional sense of detachment, and some key emotional shifts may be lost in translation.

That said, Avetisyan’s performance is undeniably committed – physical, passionate, and emotionally raw. The minimal staging suits the bleak subject matter, and the growing sense of revelation around the truth of Betty’s accident is a bit of a turning point.

At just 40 minutes (shorter than its listed runtime), A Cold Day in Hell is an intense and sombre experience. It’s not a easy watch, but it certainly leaves an impression and is worth a try.

***

Reviewed by Howard

Greenside at George Street Forrest Theatre

15.00 to 15.55

Until 9th