Review: The Trials, Southwark Playhouse

The Large at Southwark Playhouse Borough houses this thought-provoking production of The Trials, written by Dawn Hicks. It’s an exploration of how 12 young jurors make life changing decisions for Dinosaurs. Dinosaurs in this near future equate to anyone 18+ in 2018, old enough to understand and heed the warnings of catastrophic climate change: to choose to change – or be held accountable.

Southwark Playhouse Young Ensemble are to be congratulated for their eloquence and embodiment of the range of emotions they impart on their audience. This talented ensemble have had a six-month intensive acting programme to support their aspirations and to deliver this production. Each is attired in modern, diverse and characterful clothing. The future stars of theatre are very much in evidence. Particular standouts include Ren (Emma Judge), Hamida (Syam Stewart)and Marcia (Anne-Elizabeth Sowah); though the entire cast are each impactful and demand our attention.

The blackbox setting holds a table for 12, refreshments and a wall of ‘celebrity squares’ where we see random selection of each Elder to be ‘judged’. Lighting is subtle, echoing the sense of captivity, and initially the music is sonorous and undemanding.

The play begins innocuously, each introducing themselves and their pronouns. This demonstrates a sense of collective responsibility for each life/death result of their subsequent deliberation. As each character evolves, we witness the creative, meditative, argumentative and vulnerable emerge through what is an intense production. Music and lighting adjusts to the moods and swings of the jurors. The accused are allotted a mere five minutes to express their case; jurors given a merciless 15 minutes to cast life/death judgement.

There is little space for the audience to draw breath, except when Marcia (Sowah) conducts breathing exercises, calming the group and their audience. Gasps were heard amongst the spectators as the jurors related personal experiences of death and loss through climate change; citing stories of refugees, droughts, floods and famine. The audience practically gagged as parallels were drawn with the Nuremberg reckonings; Nazi representatives then claimed they were ‘just doing their jobs’ and here, the Dinosaurs are proclaiming themselves ‘victims of a capitalist society’.

The cast are artful in their portrayal of a range of emotions from anger to compassion; from sweeping judgement, to considered outcomes and the torment of the undecided. There are numerous societal comments made including expressing their “disgust at people having three children”; how “progeny working for climate conservation today, did not excuse the inaction of their elders”.

At times the cast, using no microphones, were muffled or inaudible, which meant a large part of the audience did not hear/engage with their outpourings, which was a shame. Perhaps if further use were made of the space below the screens more might be heard.

Whilst the ending is profound, I wonder how much more incendiary it might have been to pause with the final decision of the day still in the balance. I found myself reflecting on whether I was doing enough in my life/space and I wonder how we might each be judged and found wanting in the striving for accomplishment, adventure and achievement. Ultimately, we are aware and informed about the effects of our individual choices and the collective damage occurring.

Audience members leaving the space were discussing this “interesting idea”, and I found myself thinking – this is not an ‘idea’ but a fact of life now. As we departed the playhouse, we were faced with a person in a sandwich board stating the need for action on climate change… “If not now, when?” When indeed.

Cast: Harry Japes, Rowan Miller, Rachel Greenwood, Dominque Vincent, Syam Stewart, Evie Desheva, Scarlett Molyneux, Josie Surminski, Nina Amos, Emma Judge, Thea Walcott McKay, Anne-Elizabeth Sowah, Hywel Simons, Kacey Ainsworth, Nancy Crane

Written by: Dawn King
Directed by: Vicky Moran
Set and Costume Design by: Natalie Johnson
Lighting/Video Design by: Will Monks
Composed/Sound Design by: Fergus Carver

The Trials runs at Southwark Playhouse Borough until Saturday 30 August.