A unique take on the realities of the climate crisis, which elegantly walks the line between fact, fiction, and humour.Summary
Rating
Excellent
Tight, confined, and dark, the intimate venue of Barons Court Theatre provides a fitting atmosphere for Luke Ofield’s play Kill Drill. Starring only three actors and set against the backdrop of an Instruments’ Room within a North-Sea oil rig, the play follows Dawn and Kit, a pair of activists, who unintentionally take the captain of the rig hostage. The three are then confronted by the reality of their situation when an immediate crisis arises and they are each forced to face their conflicting ideologies.
This is a production which tackles its subject matter with taste and a much-needed touch of comedy. Such a skeletal cast works perfectly as a reflection of the varying perspectives on the climate crisis, and each of the three actors truly holds their own. Christine Kempell is a powerhouse of comedic gold as Dawn, the older activist—hilarious, kind, and hopelessly optimistic. Meanwhile, Kit, played by Pip O’Neill, is unflinching in her bitter anger, an attitude O’Neill executes perfectly as a representation of the often cold outlook of today’s youth. As the rig’s captain, Lloyd Morris is believably dismissive and coy, unimpressed by his makeshift attackers’ attempt to change a system he believes cannot be altered.
With some excellent use of lighting to resemble flashing nearby vessels and warning signals, as well as deafening, jarring sound effects to mimic imminent disaster, the stage production really serves to immerse and convince members that they’re right there with these characters, that we too are on this sinking ship (which, of course, we are). There are some props and sweet costume touches that drive home the people behind the mission; an IPod Touch, for example, and the suggestion of a shared pizza. The back-and-forth between the captain and Dan, another employee, by radio is genuinely humorous and adds some much-needed relief to the heaviness of the play. Equally, the gravity of the situation is levied carefully in the dialogue through realistic jibes at one another, generally devoid of the hatred one might expect between such opposing forces.
Kill Drill manages to communicate its message in a digestible way without pandering to either side of the argument; instead, it works to recognise the worries, hopes, and ignorance of people both for and against Big Oil. Given the size of the theatre, audience members may as well be trapped in there with the characters. At times, I was forced to remember that for the duration of the show, there was a blinking EXIT sign in the far-left corner.
As the play concludes, bonding the characters through the reality of their situation, audiences leave the performance understanding that the situation is not, in fact, as clear-cut as ‘Oil Rig Captain versus Activist.’ Instead, they are confronted by three characters who are closer bound by their mortality than by their vocation. At its core, Kill Drill is a realistic and touching example of the only way to survive what’s coming — and that’s together.
Written and Directed by: Luke Ofield
Produced by Unmasked Theatre
Kill Drill has completed its current run.
