Two men are imprisoned for unknown reasons in a totalitarian regime. Wallace (Richard Harrington) and Valdez (Waj Ali) communicate through their cell walls, never having seen the other person. While making jokes, that make the audience laugh in-between the serious conversations, they also play name games, talk about the pain they endure, and discuss escaping. We are navigated through the feeling of hope mixed with fear, as Valdez's disillusion strengthens, and there seems to be a shift of what is reality and what isn't. The idea of escaping becomes the main focus of these two men.
As we enter the theatre, Wallace and Valdez are already in their cells, Valdez looking around dazed and Wallace asleep. We are entered into an eerie scene that already has us intrigued. The slow dramatic music in the background is perfectly curated by Mike Walker (sound designer) to fit into the play's fearful environment. With the set only including just three cells and a walk-way, our focus is narrowed to Wallace's and Valdez's confinement.
At times, Craight Wright's (writer) and Iya Patarkatsishvili's (director) play does feel lacking of plot, with most of the play involving the back and forward conversations between the two men. The plot thickens as Smash (Ross Tomlinson), the loud, jittery prison guard, comes into the picture, sharing his feelings of being torn between his duty and his own disgusted notion of what he's doing to others. At this point it feels like more action will happen, maybe more guards will appear, maybe we will see them attempt their escape, but the ending, while purposeful with circling back to the opening scene, seemed to be lacking.
The Unseen is extremely thought-provoking and exposes the isolation and repression, of a totalitarian regime that feels less dystopian than ever. It is certainly an invitation to think about human nature and about the innocent people who are punished and erased into isolation. Writer, Craig Wright, wrote this play when he was commissioned to write a play about Jesus, and he said himself that it turned into a play about power: 'how heavy things sink to the bottom and light things float to the top.'
While The Unseen is intriguing and denotes an important message, the play could have been stronger with a longer run time which could have turned into adding more characters and developing the characters past life, so we could see some more action running through.
The Unseen will be playing at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith until 14th December. Certain shows will also have post-performance discussions about the topics in play.
Coinciding with the production of The Unseen, an exhibition 'Faces of Russian Resistance', can also be found at Riverside Studios. The exhibition focuses on Russians who oppose the Putin regime and paid for it with their freedom.
Review: Cara Scott Photo: Manuel Harlan