Writers: Morgan Savidan & Sasha Carberry Sharma
Director: Ari Bhatti
BEASTS is a play of shape-shifting, transformation and transcendence. When in the room, you feel transported into some kind of mythical realm – it’s infectious and a little haunting. That foreboding quality is impressively built upon as we progress through the play, encountering twists in the stories of Sita, Rama, Ravana, Hanuman and Kali.
Two girls, Max (Morgan Savidan) and Sam (Sasha Carberry Sharma), have just taken a hallucinogenic before the confident and self-assured Max goes back to London to continue her life away from Ireland. Sam struggles with this reality, as we find her gripping to both Max, and more importantly, the past. Beautifully narrated by Savidan, as Max, and multi-rolling as Himava, the narrator of Sita’s story, we are taken on a journey that falls in and out of reality. We face an enigmatic trial, an empowering but intense fight with Gods, and a myriad of metaphors for the difficulties of biracial identities as young people. Both Max and Sam uncover emotional truths about their true selves, asking questions about their identities and ties to their ancestors that they may have been too afraid to before.
As a two-hander, it can sometimes be challenging to maintain an engaged audience through variation and imagery, but BEASTS achieved this, and more. The way levels are utilised through intrinsic choreography, silhouettes behind a projector screen and ladders that feel like the actors are ascending into a different world in some way during particularly passionate monologues, all serve to consistently engage the audience through theatrical intrigue. The direction (Ari Bhatti) had a lot of specificity which helped to understand some of the more difficult metaphors, especially through movement and embodiment. Though a few comedic moments feel a little mediocre at times, these still have so much potential to grip the audience with potentially some variation in pitch. However, the blunt delivery from Sharma creates a wonderful comedic effect overall, and her facial expressions add to her anxious and panicked personality. With faster pacing at times, any lagging could be easily remedied, and would elevate this show that is already so strong and moving.
The feature of the National Concert Hall Gamelan Orchestra onstage is a lovely addition that adds vibrancy and colour to the stage through a new medium of music which heightens and evolves any movement scenes into an experience in and of itself. The set, from the ladders, to the projector being cleverly blended in, to the stunning lights, was absolutely astounding; the impressive use of textiles and rugs which consume the floor, gives such an intimate sense of being indoors and listening in on this conversation between the characters. Set designer Ciara Kelly, immediately puts us into Sam and Max’s world. Similarly, the costume design added magic to the piece, whether we were watching Hanuman’s stealthy and secretive ways or court lawyers in white wigs prosecuting Sita for her involvement with the men of Lanka.
The metaphors within this piece are a beautiful expression of the hardships and also beauties of being both mixed race, and women. Whether it is delving into the importance of remembering your ancestors, the importance of feeling you belong to your culture, being thankful for a life where you can prosper, being angry at those in the past who couldn’t, being confused at how to be thankful when there is still so much difficulty in living this life, or not knowing whether home is ‘where your parents are from, or where you grew up’, it is safe to say as an audience member it is a privilege to watch this performance and see the feelings of displacement, longing and hope be depicted so beautifully by two dynamic young actors.
Runs Until 21st September 2024.
The Review's Hub Score
Live Music, Mystical, Identity
