Writer: Dougie Blaxland
Director: Roughhouse Theatre
“All you need to do is read the leaflet”
These are the words Ricky Martin hears time and time again on his frustrating and stressful journey to finding
the stability and comfort that we all take for granted. This is the true story of one young man who has been left in a tragic set of circumstances for which he holds no blame. The story of a man who over time loses his identity in a system of red tape, bureaucracy and a painful lack of empathy from a country which does the bare minimum to support those in need.
You could be forgiven for thinking this play focuses solely on Ricky’s struggles. Unknown is, in fact, the true story of 800 people who died sleeping rough between 2017 and 2019. The play was originally intended to be performed outdoors and later began broadcasting its powerful messages as an audio play during the pandemic. It is still possible to listen to the audio version, but the intimacy that is captured in this gripping and harrowing play needs to be seen first-hand. Unknown uses the real-life experiences and support of those who are homeless on the streets in the South West. This brings extra authenticity to the play and connects us to what is happening every day outside the four walls of the theatre.
By focusing on Ricky’s heart-breaking struggles, the audience is taken on that journey with him, feeling every ounce of rejection, ignorance, and suffering that Ricky experiences. Scott Bayliss portrays the raw emotion of Ricky, with more tears, beads of sweat and dizziness developing as he’s told to tackle a never-ending obstacle course just to live the standard of life we expect.
Moira Hunt and the team at Roughhouse Theatre have married together Ricky’s demise with the hundreds of others following the same inevitable journey. At regular intervals, the fast-paced sequence of events in Ricky’s life is paused as a number of those who have died sleeping rough are read out. What they have in common is that they are all ‘unknown’. All have been stripped of their dignity and identity, and abandoned by a failed system. These breaks in the story leave the audience with a moment to reflect on how close we all are to so many others facing this situation.
Dan Gaisford and Sabrina Laurison do very well to portray those who support and betray Ricky throughout the events which unravel. There are moments where the audience feels their words inside Ricky’s head, seeing the damage it can do to him. Gaisford often plays the ‘system’, the stereotypical suited-and-booted pen pusher, presenting Ricky with leaflet after leaflet to magically solve all of his problems. There is a thud every time Ricky hits another barrier, another folder of policies and processes which eventually builds a wall that he can no longer see beyond. Whether intentional or not, this adds to the powerful message of the play.
There is an inevitability about the ending, an inevitability that provokes fury at the mistreatment he and many others have received. Unknown delivers its messages of social justice and it doesn’t hold back on the raw emotion that leaves the audience reflecting silently on the state of our society. This is an important and compelling play to watch, which was only made more significant as we leave to see another rough sleeper directly outside of the theatre. Will there be sufficient changes to ensure he and many others don’t become Unknown?
Runs Until 14 October and on tour
