The Restless State - Alphabetti Theatre - Review

The Restless State  

Alphabetti Theatre

17th April 2018

This one man show written by Danielle Pearson and performed by Jesse Fox spans three different time lines, from three different people from the past (1989), the present (2018) and the future 2052. The general theme that connected all the time periods was political change. From the end of the Berlin wall, the day after brexit and the future referendum on a one child policy. The stage is sparse, but effective and the one man show switches from monologues to what equates to an audio narration of what is happening. Sound is used often and effectively creates atmosphere when needed, including music, sound effects and sound bites.  

There’s an underlying sense of nostalgia even in the distant future. The locations switch from Berlin (1989), London (2018) and Rome (2052). In the past hope is prevalent, yet the further we get into the future the more bleak we get. Due to the switching and the pace of the piece it can be confusing in places, but all becomes clear at the end. The plot quality varies and is best paced in 1989. Overall this was a very entertaining and evocative hour long piece and it felt something quite different from what I’m used to. If you like something a bit different, I definitely recommend checking this out. 
It runs at Alphabetti until Friday 20th April.

Frank Cromartie Murphy