Theatre
Collateral Damage
Edwin Morgan Studio, Glasgow
Marianne Gunn
Three stars
As part of Scottish Youth Theatre's Summer Festival, this group of 14 young people - who met only two weeks ago - have collaborated to devise this interesting piece. A dystopian premise, with nods to George Orwell, William Golding and Suzanne Collins, survivors are trapped in an underground bunker, unsure of what lies "above", or of what remains in the "wonderful world" they once knew. Through storytelling and ritualistic remembrances, they keep alive memories of what once was, but the revisionism of captivity has made its indelible mark on their memories, while fact and fiction blur with the passage of time.
Director Fraser MacLeod utilises the compact studio space to good effect and there is an inherent claustrophobia that goes with the mousetrap design of the layered set. The soundscape is also vaguely oppressive and generally threatening, as childhood games become sinister and rules become more ritual than regulatory. A bit more vocal light and shade would have been welcome, with perhaps more of a climactic build-up and overt resolution of plot. However, the dialogue was clear and at times impressive, especially Annie Bowes as elfin-like rebel Fran and a playful turn from Megan Deas as Melody.
Edie Goodwin's haunting accordion playing enhanced her character Rachel's denouement while Lucy Smart's emotional journey as Onyx went into hyper drive at the close. It was also great to see such solid and convincing performances from the five young male members of the cast: real stage presence and excellent delivery and diction. It would have been nice to see the stylised movement and chanting continue throughout, rather than just punctuating beginning and end, but that is a minor quibble from a solid offering of hard work and evident passion.
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