Headlong never
fail to amaze me. From the stunning complexity of 1984 to the twist on the
classic Romeo and Juliet, every production brings a new and exciting way to
watching theatre. I had no doubts that ‘The Nether’ would leave me thinking
about this astonishing production for days after.
Essentially, the
play revolved around a detective who is investigating a darker corner of The
Nether (the internet). Looking at the morality of the digital world, child
abuse and the effect on our real lives, we were transported backwards and
forwards between the peaceful, uncertainty of The Nether and the harsh reality
of the interrogation room.
As always, the
acting was flawless. The five actors gave an incredible performance, especially
the young Zoe Brough as Iris; that can hardly be the easiest role for someone
so young to perform. Amanda Hale (Morris) leads us through not only the story
of the play but also her emotional reaction to the events she has experienced,
leaving the audience sympathetic to her character. A lot of this is down to
Jennifer Haley’s sensational script which, in just over an hour, makes us
question so much and leaves the whole audience discussing the futuristic ideas
through the clever and powerful language.
I’m already a
massive fan of Es Devlin’s set designs but this outshone any I had seen before.
The interrogation room was blank and simple in contrast to the stunning,
imaginative wonderland. Mirrors were used around the whole stage to give a
futuristic feeling and appeared to extend the trees placed around the sides of
the stage back for miles. They really helped to create this virtual world that
seemed like an enchanting, faultless utopia. A floating platform made The
Nether a clearly different but fascinating realm. I cannot fault the set design
and projections were cleverly used throughout to give the feeling of a digital
world in both areas.
Everything about
‘The Nether’ gives the impression that it was the most fantastic production but
for me something didn’t quite reach those five stars I wanted to give it. Maybe
it was the constant sound of feedback showing the digital world or the idea of
a virtual world where you had freedom but no consequences for your actions.
Maybe it was all the haunting ideas they implied or that came after the show
had finished that made me feel uncomfortable. Nonetheless it was a remarkable, overwhelming,
thought-provoking show and definitely worth seeing while it is still in London.
http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/
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