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| Photo: Robert Day |
"They fear nothing, they strive for nothing. They are asleep". The overwhelming ennui that characterises Friedrich Dürrenmatt's 1956 drama, is effectively adapted by this group of 14-18 year olds, gathered from all corners of Nottingham's youth theatre scene.
The frustration at the centre of the play is delicious; the irony of striving for justice through means of an injustice is a concept that questions morality, loyalty and the price at which mankind will abandon such notions. "One billion notes", incidentally. This is a difficult and somewhat crushing controversy that is handled not only with intense professionalism, but with a maturity that proves these teenagers to be skilled performers.
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| Photo: Robert Day |
From the outset, the group deliver a polished and exciting interpretation, lending a fluidity to a beautifully crafted script. Indeed, the physical weaving of bodies across the stage, gives way to a natural coordination where movements are mirrored and completed in unison. Particularly towards the end, such movements provide a powerful rhythm that is not dissimilar to the beat of an executioner's drum; an urgent and despairing pulse administered with military precision. There is an interesting dichotomy between the harmony of such formation and the feeling of gut-wrenching devastation that it incites: one man's free-fall into chaotic paranoia is in fact carefully controlled by the metronome of his fellow players. An exquisite production.
The Visit runs at Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 25th April.
