Review: 113, The Hope Theatre

In theatre and other media, narratives usually focus on the viewpoint of one or two central protagonists as the world, and other characters, are understood from their perspective. 113, written by Ethan McLucas, fully embraces this concept by immersing the audience into the gripping world of either of two inmates.

The set design makes this intent very clear. The stage is divided by a large wall into two prison cells; taking a seat on one side will completely block the other from view. The audience will therefore choose which inmate they observe and which one they will know only as a voice from the other side of the wall, as their chosen character does. What follows is part live performance and part audio drama.

Inmate 49 (Isobel Glover) already occupies one cell; the mess of papers on the floor and her frayed, striped prison uniform suggesting that she has been there for some time. The cell on the other side is empty and tidy, until inmate 64 (George Loynes), his fresh uniform signalling that he is a new arrival, is escorted in by a sinister masked guard (Sali Adams). 49 calmly explains the situation to a frantic 64; their memories have been erased, a process which will continue at regular intervals. They will be released if they ever remember the truth of who they were, so their cells contain various artefacts to provide clues to their forgotten identities. The two must work together to uncover the truth and win their freedom.

McLucas’s script and Rio Rose Joubert’s direction are well crafted to ensure that equal time is given to 49 and 64, whilst also enabling the performances to be effectively experienced both visually and audibly. The unique personalities of the pair are quickly established, as is their camaraderie. From both sides of the wall, Loyness and Glover masterfully convey a spectrum of recognisable emotions throughout their plight. Both have scenes of frustration as they thrash around their cell; it is just as distressing to witness their anguish firsthand as it is to merely hear it. When they have unsettling encounters with prison staff, the audience shares the anxiety of one of them not knowing exactly what is happening to their friend.

The production design supports the script in leading 49, 64 and audiences to question the unbalanced reality of life in the prison. Lingyi Wang’s atmospheric sound design includes recurrent choral voices; an ever frustrated 64 shouts out for it to stop, which it suddenly does. This immediately calls into question the nature of the music which has been perfectly attuned to match the mood of the characters, whether frantic, calm or triumphant. Is this background music to support the performances of the show? Or does it indicate a prison overseer moderating mood music whilst they observe the inmates?

Matty Ara’s lighting effectively conveys unease with unnatural green, changes in temperature, and it subtly flickers to indicate when routine memory erasures occur. This device adds intriguing depth to the various roles (guard, laundress and others) portrayed by Adams, who has great versatility to make each one distinct. Is it simply the case of one actress portraying multiple roles? Or is it one character acting the part of different roles to deceive the inmates as they are forced to forget that they have previously met her?

The story of 113 is compelling and accessible whichever side you choose to observe. The tight hour runtime is perfectly managed to establish and maintain the tension and mystery at full pace. The unveiling of the mystery is as satisfying as the attempts to unravel it.

Written by Ethan McLucas
Directed by Rio Rose Joubert
Assistant Director: Lauren Lendrevie
Produced by Emma McKeown, Denisa Dobrovodova and Fran Parrotta
Lighting designed by Matty Arrackchee
Sound designed by Lingyi Wang
Presented by Déjà Vu Productions and Pretty Gross Productions

113 has completed its current run at the Hope Theatre