Writer: Craig Wright
Director: Iya Patarkatsishvili
The Unseen is an intense, emotional, and occasionally darkly comedic piece of theatre written by Craig Wright. It delves into the lives of Wallace and Valdez, two prisoners enduring imprisonment for 11 and three years. The play immerses us in their daily struggle for survival through coping mechanisms, obsessive routines, and the looming spectre of torture. Their bleak existence is overturned when Valdez reveals that he is communicating with a nonexistent woman in the cell between theirs—a woman with a plan to help them escape.
The play poignantly explores human emotions – guilt, hope, trust, and fear – while examining the fragility of the human psyche under oppressive systems. Wright masterfully shows how extreme circumstances warp identity and isolate individuals, forcing them to confront their own sense of reality.
Waj Ali’s portrayal of Valdez is profoundly moving. His performance captures the raw vulnerability of a naive and damaged man, evoking both sympathy and heartbreak. Ali’s nuanced delivery makes the audience want to believe Valdez’s improbable story and his fragile hope for escape. From the moment the audience enters the space, his physicality conveys a man permanently broken – a deterioration that becomes even more pronounced as the play unfolds.
Richard Harrington, as Wallace, provides a stark contrast with his portrayal of a disciplined and intelligent perfectionist. His obsessive routines in response to lights or sirens illustrate his desperate attempt to impose order in a chaotic and oppressive world. Harrington skilfully conveys Wallace’s long time in prison through subtle indicators like memory blanks and sudden emotional outbursts. Wallace shifts fluidly between a patronising mentor and a protective father figure, his sense of purpose rooted in teaching and guiding Valdez, even in their bleak reality.
Ross Tomlinson, playing the guard Smash, introduces moments of brutal humour through his sarcasm and violent outbursts. Yet, as the play progresses, his character takes on a more sinister tone. Tomlinson delivers a chilling monologue vividly describing a torture session, leaving the audience squirming in discomfort. His performance balances the guard’s numb cruelty with flickers of vulnerability, revealing a character deeply affected by the emotions of those he torments. Despite only a brief amount of stage time, Tomlinson crafts a complex and essential figure in the narrative.
Anna Watson’s lighting and Simon Kenny’s set design brilliantly encapsulate the claustrophobic and oppressive nature of prison life. The stark white lights of the cells, framed by darkness and metallic grates, create an unsettling atmosphere, while sudden flashes of red signal danger. The clever decision to construct low walls around the cells maintains a feeling of confinement while granting the audience an unrestricted view of the actors.
Director Iya Patarkatsishvili’s meticulous staging creates an illusion that Wallace and Valdez cannot see each other despite sharing the same stage, and this is executed with precision. By ensuring eye contact is deliberately avoided rather than exaggeratedly ignored, the production maintains its believability. This subtle directorial choice underscores the isolation of the characters while immersing the audience in their psychological and physical constraints.
The Unseen confronts challenging and often unspoken issues, using raw brutality to leave the audience unsettled while building a deep emotional connection to the prisoners. It refrains from casting judgment on their crimes, focusing instead on the universal struggles of humanity under extreme duress.
Runs until 14 December 2024
