Spacey's all-American anthem

Following the critical bashing Cloaca received under his direction, Kevin Spacey returns to what he knows best with an acting role in Dennis McIntyre's National Anthems in the third instalment of his Old Vic season.

This dark comedy, which Spacey is more than familiar with having taken the same role in a 1988 production, uses the events in a Detroit suburban living room to highlight the prejudices and power-struggle within American society.

Spacey plays Ben Cook, the over-bearing blue-collar worker who invites himself into the home of yuppie couple Leslie (Mary Stuart Masterson) and Arthur (Steven Weber) Reed at the end of their dinner party.

The references to America's consumerist culture are hardly subtle and it soon becomes clear the Reeds know the price of everything and the value of nothing, displaying their purchases like trophies of their success. But as Leslie repeatedly polishes her table tops while Arthur plays space invaders on his $7200 watch, it's clear there's little depth to their perfectly presented lives.

Ben's presence threatens to bring out the worse in them and, as he introduces a juvenile hand-clapping drinking game and well-executed magic tricks, the arrogant and competitive Arthur begins to get agitated.

Having locked horns verbally, the men then challenge each other to a 'game' of American football. The introduction of violence (a raging Arthur slams Ben repeatedly against the wall during one tackle) sees the first real emotion from the couple. They are like teenagers, him roaring, her giggling, as the injured Spacey lies on the floor. Victory, albeit brief, brings out the all-American cheerleader in Leslie.

With his pride dented, Arthur lashes out at Ben, belittling his rescue of a woman from a hotel fire and, inevitably, the wheels fall off Ben's jovial persona with dramatic effect.

This third offering in Spacey's season as artistic director is a showcase for his finely-tuned acting talents. He is allowed to run the show, providing most of the laughs and nearly all of the dramatic tension, with his co-stars remaining relatively two-dimensional characters.

The audience is mesmerised by an effective, draining climax but, despite Spacey's best efforts, the rather dated production falls short of providing the big hitter the Waterloo venue so desperately needs.

National Anthems