One thing you could not possibly accuse the Lace Market Theatre in Nottingham of is lazy programming and their latest offering, X by Alistair McDowell; a mind bending sci fi stage drama, is a prime example of their creative bravery.
Photos credit: Kathryn Edwards
Set in a space station on the planet Pluto some time in the future it concerns the fates of the remaining astronaut scientists aboard the possibly forgotten vessel and their now fragile relationships and mental states. From their memories Earth is billions of miles away, all the birds are dead and some countries don’t even exist anymore. They could even be the last humans left alive for all they know and things that they thought they could rely on like linear time and human interactions turn out to be false hopes. And who is the tall girl that manifests inside the space ship. What is X? If you consider the first act to be strange then buckle up for the distinct oddness that act two brings to the stage.
As a piece of little performed drama X gives the actors and production team plenty of creative opportunity and Guy Evans’ set design is an out of this world wonder to behold. Equally impressive are Fred Baker’s sound design and Amy Burmudez’s atmospherically strong lighting. Digital design is by Laurie Owen. Big credit must also go to the director Nicole Driver primarily for guiding the actors through some pretty intense and complicated dialogue which even during the bizarre act two sections remains deliberately fractured yet naturalistic.
The six principle actors, Tom Pluse (Clarke), Malcolm Todd (Cole), Mary Sullivan (Gilda), Ally Saunders (Mattie), Richard Young (Ray), and Megan Smalley (Girl) are all excellent and somehow we believe their characters crumbling personas and care for their wellbeing. Without spoiling anything, not all of the characters are who you might imagine they are on first sight. As the directors notes say ‘This is a play that exists in uncertainty.’ It is in sharing that uncertainty of human existence and abstract experience that mesmorises the audience tonight through the skills of the top class actors and technical team combined. In space you can’t a pin drop and so it is in the audience tonight. You don’t have to like science fiction to enjoy this stagey space oddity but no matter what planet you are from Alistair McDowell ‘s X is a gripping piece of theatre and The Lace Market Theatre’s production is worth investing in booking tickets this week. It’s not rocket science. Well actually some of it is but that would be being pedantic. It’s one small step for mankind to get on the phone or internet to secure your tickets. Do it. You won’t regret it.
