Sherman Theatre, Cardiff
Tue 28 Mar
Wire hangs from the ceilings, and lies coiled in mounds on the floor. As we take our seats in the theatre, we are soaked in symbolism: these wires, thick and black, suggest several of the play’s themes, even before it has begun. They are ‘industry’, the means by which one of the character’s father makes his fortune; they are electricity and the digital realm, which is how the son makes his own. They represent concepts such as connection, the ties of relationship, and intimate how these bonds may support us, as well as tie us down. One of the wires is cut at its end, the innards splayed, while water streaks the ground. A little further down and it would meet the water, and a tragedy could result. A tragedy that could / did / might have occurred of course concurring with the play’s narrative intent, without wanting to provide any spoilers here.
The ropes coiled in mounds also suggest earth and, at times in the play, do actually become ‘hills’ for Killology’s three main characters – Alan, Paul, and Davey – to run up. However, most of the wires are not ‘earthed’ at all: they hang from the ceiling with all the disarray of jungle vines. And, indeed, our primitive, animal nature as it is expressed within the confines of what is ‘civilised’ is a central concern of the play. It is no surprise, later, for example, when an object symbolising childhood and innocence is strangled within these hanging wires several feet above our heads. It looks like something lost, taken, destroyed – a relic, perhaps. How we are ‘brought to earth’ – forced to it physically by bullying fists, or emotionally via parental disapproval or disinterest, or through other circumstances – by being unearthed from our own innocence, our childlike sense of wonder, is an interesting notion which is intricately explored here.
All three characters in Killology move, in a sense, from innocence through to experience. However, these experiences are painful and crushing, inevitably morphing their personalities. At the beginning, you could say we are presented with three male archetypes: the innocent boy; the entrepreneur; the everyman/working man, who is also a father seeking revenge. However, events happen, and the boy becomes a hoodied hoodlum seeking revenge on the world; the entrepreneur, who enacts the death of his own father via his Killology video game, is revealed as an innocent who has never spilled blood; and the everyman/worker/father takes matters into his own hands with all the self-assurance of a boss or entrepreneur. There are other changes, overlaps, and mirroring between these characters, which are nuanced, intelligent, and intriguing. Every character and their shifts/changes is inherently believable, which makes the play even more powerful as a result.
And, this is a very powerful play. Gary Owen’s script and Rachel O’Riordan’s direction, along with three talented actors, as well as the lighting, set, and sound effects, combine to make this an overwhelming experience. I would say that the play’s blurb, focusing on the Killology game, does not do justice to the intricacy of the writing, its interplay of themes and character, and the masterful direction, set, and other elements. Together, these combine to make this the best play I have seen in a long time. It is a masterpiece, plain and simple, and if you see it then it will stay with you, haunt you, even, for a long time afterwards, as well.
words MAB JONES