We open with three best friends who live in the same student house. On the surface, it seems they are idealistic and optimistic for the future. It becomes clear that there is a love triangle that sours and makes them turn on each other.
The new play by Titas Halder is a co-production between The Other Room, Mongrel Thumb and Theatre503. It is a portrayal of a dystopian, police state Britain and how if effects people’s lives. It is described as a chilling thriller, but I was frustrated by the lack of context as to why and how the country had ended up as if in a George Orwell novel.
All the performances were strong. Rosie Sheehy as Grace gave an assured and purposeful performance, but I was unable to gain any sympathy for her character. Charles Reston as her middle class conservative boyfriend Marcus irritated with his slimy and patronising attitude to women and his supposed best friend Aaron played by the charismatic Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge. Grace has a more believeable relationship with Aaron and I found it hard to believe that she would have taken the easy option of staying with Marcus, who only really wanted to get her pregnant by cutting holes in the condoms.
Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge and Rosie Sheehy
The set designed by Mark Bailey was beautifully detailed and observed and the lighting by Katy Morison was eerily atmospheric and really added to the gloomy nightmare of the play. The sound design by Chris Bartholomew also aided the paranoia filled world. The direction by Hannah price was pacey and kept the tension taut throughout and I particularly enjoyed the choreographed scene changes. The play switches between scenes with the friends as students in a crumbling political world to adults trapped in a dangerous, police state who would do anything to survive and escape.
Although all the elements made for an atmospheric and suspenseful world, I found myself unable to sympathise with any of the characters. There was one particularly violent scene that was shocking and involved torture between supposed friends. The characters were grappling with love, hate, prejudice and believing what is real. A world full of paranoia. They all ultimately made different choices. Marcus did as he was told by a faceless government, Aaron came back for his love for Grace and Grace chose herself by betraying both of them.
Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge, Rosie Sheehy and Charles Reston
A lot of the writing by Halder was well observed and created a questioning and turmoil filled world, but it was hard to get behind the characters when it was unclear how the world had become so harsh and ominous. The world created by the production team, however was clever, surreal and dreamlike in which the characters created tension and questioned what was real.
A chilling and visual feast that runs at The Other Room until 6th May.
The Other Room Until May 6
www.otherroomtheatre.com
Main image Charles Reston, Rosie Sheehy
Photography Aenne Pallasca