Cargo

Arcola
11/7/2016

Chosen by Mel

Comments

[Nick]

Stone cave for pre-theatre meze. Always a crowd pleaser.
From the opening we are plunged into darkness and it emerges we are in a container on a ship with a group of stowaways, probably refugees but something is strange. An American arrives, and it becomes clear that is some future scenario and the people hiding in our container are actually refugees escaping from the UK to seek better conditions in Europe. A chilling view of the future which is entirely depressing and quite plausable. Very immersive and atmospheric, the bleak future vision was all the more uncomfortable for the fact that we watched it perched on a pile of pallets covered in black plastic. Hopefully the real future has better seats!

[Richard]

My notes on this play are v short: utterly depressing and bleak. I think we all left feeling deflated. It had a strong, simple but clever plot and good acting and script. It managed to keep me awake and I remember feeling utterly exhausted beforehand. Good to be back at the arcola (albeit at a new venue) and the trusty stone cave.