I will forever be a fan of dystopian entertainment, from Black Mirror to Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams, and this trio of short plays most definitely kindles that fire in me. Life, Still, Greedy Pig Theatre Company’s pilot production, places us in a world not too dissimilar to our own where the class system is alphabetised and shows us the sparks that begin revolution. It’s relevance to today is a little horrifying, recalling the current Governmental climate and the overlying upset within large groups in our country, I felt uneasy… in a good way. With regards to the text itself, this is a very strong building block towards a new collection of works, but I think the next step needs to be both subtlety in the exposition, and the weight of stakes (which admittedly became heftier and subtler as the evening went on). The performances of the four actors were strong and their intentions and connections with one another were clear, although, the weight of the problems they have been put under could be a little more prominent in their performance, and the ever-so-slightly miscast multi-rolling was skilfully executed. For sound design, this is one of the strongest I’ve seen in the festival so far, with epic transitions paired with stark lighting flashes really gives you a pain-stricken “other-worldly” feel, beautifully accompanied by a live cellist which adds another touch of live drama to the piece. As a whole, I was impressed by Greedy Pig Theatre Company’s first production, and once the creases have been ironed out and an overall slickness has been achieved, I truly believe they are onto a winner.

 

Daniel Thomas