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A worthy restaging of a play that will leave you asking what the hell it was all about, but hopefully in a positive way. Summary
Rating
Excellent
X haunts me: the play, not the social media platform. Originally performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 2016, it left me with so many questions that I went back a few days later to watch it again. The second viewing just created even more debate as to what it all meant! It’s wonderfully complex and full of such depth that I wonder if writer Alistair McDowall even knows what it’s all about. That opinion is perhaps reinforced by his own response when asked in an interview what the ending meant: “It means whatever you want it to mean.”
All of that is to say that it is quite an ambitious task to restage this play in the confines of Barons Court Theatre. Because, let’s be honest, the budget is a fraction of the Royal Court’s, the stage is just a little smaller and the actors probably have second jobs to pay the bills so don’t have the same time to rehearse and absorb the script. Yet whether in an act of utter madness or divine inspiration, KDC Theatre take on the task. And I really couldn’t resist another trip to see if they can do it the justice it deserves.
Set onboard a space station on Pluto, the crew are bored and helpless, wondering why they have not heard from Earth for weeks, worrying they have been abandoned to die. And something else is very wrong, but no one can quite put their finger on what, including the audience! There’s plenty of talk of Earth and the environmental destruction we have caused; there are no more trees, no more animals. There’s also a lot going on with time, including the fact that scenes do not happen in chronological order, just to mess with our heads a little more.
It’s easy to understand the urge to put on this play when there is so much to get your teeth into. Thankfully the team pull it off. Director Lloyd Smith has thought carefully how to scale the show down from the vastness of the Royal Court to the tightness of Barons Court Theatre, cleverly selecting what to keep and what to discard. It’s these decisions that mean it never feels as if it doesn’t belong here. If anything, it’s as if it was always meant to be squeezed between the pillars that define Baron Court Theatre, lending itself to the claustrophobic sense of being marooned together with no escape.
The cast equally feel up to the task, especially Rhiannon Carr, who holds it all together even as her character slowly loses grip of what might be real or nor. Ashley Wilce‘s Ray also stands out, as he reminisces about what meat was like and why memories are so important, whilst Joanna Mills’ final scene with Carr is genuinely heartbreaking and full of the depth required to tie everything together, perhaps hinting at what the play’s real meaning actually is.
Lighting is kept simple, but not so simple that even the blackouts aren’t well considered and timed, especially late on as we witness the passing of time when Carr finds herself alone. The sound is equally well considered, a constant background noise there to remind us we are on a working space station.
I’ll admit I approached this show with apprehension. This play is one I constantly think about and ponder the meaning of. KDC Theatre has taken this on bravely, and miraculously pull it off with some style. They are performing Mike Barlett’s 13 as well soon, another mammoth task surely, but if X is any indication, it may well be another I need to get myself along to watch, just to see how they do.
Written by: Alistair McDowall
Directed by: Lloyd Smith
Tech by: Carl Fletcher
Produced by: KDC Theatre
X plays at Barons Court Theatre until 23 March. Further information and bookings can be found here.
