Good music and a strong cast let down by script and lyrics Rating
Ok
Far in the future, a small group of people live in ‘balance’ in a tower block in Greenwich. At some point in the past, humans had been almost wiped out, the air is considered toxic, and each year they gather to make music and sing to remember the founder of their little enclave. We join them for this ceremony.
While the ceremony explores the founding of this community, the story flashes back to an unknown time – sometime around now – and we meet Ash (Eric Stroud) and Emily (Holly Freeman), a couple living in the apartment they’ve just bought, sometime undated but pretty much around now. Individually Stroud and Freeman do well but the writing gives their characters little real connection; they end just side by side without a shared emotional life and the conflict is obvious and frustratingly banal. As soon as Ash tells Emily of this incident at work, we know she’s going to report the information, and it’s clear that she never gives a single thought to Ash or their relationship – which unfortunately sums up how they are written.
The story also feels wildly simple and over familiar. Everything is from a story we already know: the balance that keeps the community together, an annual ritual to remain in balance, no-one talking about balance, venturing out into the world. It feels unoriginal – a sacrifice to keep the group going, someone sent to walk out alone, a leader (Isabella Marshall) who runs a ballot almost certainly rigged and expected to be followed much like a cult.
Of course, the couple in the flat play a huge part in the origin of the crisis which led to the wiping out of humanity and the situation the tower block finds themselves in now. But some of the storytelling is unclear. The air outside is toxic and they all must live on the 16th floor due to flooding, but then we hear of them living on lower floors and even going to the basement. The promo art is of a tower block standing in a flood, and the materials talk about the rising tides.
There, to borrow a phrase, isn’t much balance between the future world and the flashbacks – the jump between them isn’t quite earned. There’s an early almost throwaway line about the current inhabitants moving away the bodies; this should come later, after we’ve made a connection to Ash and Emily and we like them and at least learn how their story ends.
There is no shortage of talent in the cast, I’d highlight Stroud’s singing and Melinda Orengo makes a strong effort to add some emotional heft, but the script really restricts her. Max Alexander Taylor has good individual moments but the tone for his character moves all around the place and leaves him a challenge. Precipice unfortunately does not give the whole cast much to work with.
A chorus of naming the pieces in a Monopoly set grates; this would be a low point if there wasn’t a song about the lost knowledge of how a sandwich is made. It’s a shame as the electro-folk music is pretty good, it’s fun in places and feels different from your standard musicals which is one of its aims.
There’s an unusual creative team and process here: Adam Lenson, Annabelle Lee Revak, Stu Barter, Rachel Bellman, Darren Clark and Shaye Poulton Richards spent 50 days working together and the programme notes that no-one can claim credit for any idea, everything was cooked up together and well, what is that old saying about too many cooks? A steady hand to cut through and to focus would have been very welcomed indeed.
Created & Directed by: Adam Lenson
Created & Musical Supervisor: Annabelle Lee Revak
Created & Music Produced by: Stu Barter
Created & Script Supervisor: Rachel Bellman
Creators: Darren Clark & Shaye Poulton Richards
Precipice plays at New Diorama until Saturday 13 December.
