Comedic but quietly challenging, this play will keep you guessing until the very end.Summary
Rating
Excellent
Writer Eleanor Higgins‘ new production WANTED is a funny yet subtly challenging story that leads the audience into unexpected places and leaves important questions that demand to be considered.
The play tells the tale of Erica Dalrymple (Higgins) – Ed to her friends – who develops a taste for theft after life deals her a few rough hands: she persuades herself her behaviour is like payback and that she has no qualms about it. Ed persuades her best friend Jessie (Naomi Denny) to get involved in pinching mobile phones, bags and easy to grab items – only from wealthy white males who can easily replace them, of course so it’s very ethical… However, eventually things escalate and get frighteningly out of control.
Higgins’ script cleverly manages to couch outrageous behaviour within moments of comedy so we’re constantly on the brink of forgiving Ed for her actions; but she never quite earns that. Abstracted voice-overs remind us of the impact of what she’s doing, and we get glimpses that she actually has a conscience, even if she doesn’t display it in any concrete way.
There’s a cracking cast here, with beautifully played supporting performances from Denny as Jessie and Kit Sinclair in several other roles. Both give a hugely grounding reality to their characters, which underscores the delusional, slightly performative fantasy that Higgins exudes, as Ed finds herself unable to control the events she’s set in motion. Higgins is consistent and compelling throughout, keeping energy levels high, before managing a hugely poignant twist that stops you in your tracks. This entirely heart wrenching scene allows us to understand what it is in Ed’s background that has set her on such a destructive trajectory. Suddenly we’re made to consider the causes of crime, the underlying, often invisible circumstances that might lead someone to pursue a life of dishonesty, despite the often painful personal impact it can have on themselves and those close to them. It’s a really smart piece of writing and hits with a punch.
Higgins doesn’t offer easy solutions to the issues raised here, putting themes of class, crime and consequences in the mix and bravely not attempting to tie them up in a simplistic conclusion. It’s a believable, entertaining and ultimately thought provoking piece of work that keeps you guessing right to the end.
You can read more about the show in our recent interview here.
Written by: Eleanor Higgins
Produced by: Bush Productions
Co Produced by: Caleb Lee, Alyssa Hatton and Syania Shaharuddin
Dramaturgy: Somebody Jones
Directed by: Emily Aboud
Lighting Design by: Amirul Azmi
Sound Design by: Hannah Bracegirdle & Emily Aboud
Set, Props and Costume by: Laura Burman
WANTED runs at Belly Button, Underbelly as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival until Sunday 24 August.
