REVIEW: DECOMMISSIONED at The Pleasance Theatre 10 – 15 April 2023

‘a fringe show that you should try and catch’ ★★★★

Wise Ram Theatre’s ‘Decommissioned’ transports its audience to Fairbourne, a Welsh seaside village that will one day be left without any defences against the monstrous force of rising sea levels, flash floods, and coastal erosion. Fairbourne will become an unavoidable victim of climate change in the hope of diverting the attacks of the climate away from other, perhaps more economically viable and highly populated places along the UK’s western coast. Together with Outdoor Learning Centre Teacher, Elis (Aled Thomas Davies), PhD student Gwen (Marina Johnson), and a climate-anxiety-filled school child, Jackson (who is only ever an imaginative figure, sat somewhere in the audience) we follow the different ways that people come to terms with the climate catastrophe. Despite the heavy and sombre topic, ‘Decommissioned’ is heart-warming, comical, and intimate. Through the use of wide-eyed, clued-up children and two childhood sweethearts as the main protagonist the audience are gifted with moments of hope.

From the very first words of the play the audience become school children, learning about the climate crisis and flood warnings, from Learning Centre Teacher, Elis. Through Davies’ impeccable delivery the audience quickly regress into the school children that they once were as they are both humoured by this setting and slightly uncomfortable to be back in a classroom once more. This was an effective tool to immediately bring the audience into the centre of the action and to allow us to be both educated and playful. It is this playfulness that made Sweeney’s script so unique. Sweeney’s choice to have a teacher, a PhD student, and school children as her protagonists made for a refreshing piece. At times, however, Sweeney’s script felt repetitive and lengthy as the classroom setting and character objectives quickly became familiar and pedestrian to the audience that were hoping for a crashing wave to come down onto the action. Despite not getting this crashing wave in the script that I was after, Sweeney is able to write an imaginative script, that is playful, heartfelt, educational, and intimate all in 70 minutes.

What Sweeney also creates effectively is two well-rounded characters that are interesting and relatable. Teacher Elis and PhD student Gwen are expertly handled by Davies and Johnson. Their performances are honest and sincere as they work well as an ensemble. Their love story with both each other and the landscape that their characters grew up in is shared with the audience through expressive and intimate performances. Elis takes on a teacher with all the familiar intonations and quirks and Johnson depicts a climate-anxious millennial student with integrity and heartfelt emotions. Again, perhaps because of Sweeney’s falling into a familiar atmosphere very quickly, we don’t get to see much of Johnson and Davies’ repertoires. They quickly fall into the comfort of their characters and stay in this safe spot throughout. It would be lovely to see even more depth to these two relatable and familiar characters that are depicted nicely by both Johnson and Davies.

Perhaps the answer to the familiarity of the script, that left me wanting the gusts of winds and heavy rain storms that we were hearing in the background of the performances, come gushing upon the action of the play, was in the direction of the piece. Whilst Sofia Bagge presented this refreshing script well, the overall direction of the piece did not reach its full potential. Whilst lots of attention had clearly been paid to character development, creating a well-connected duo, and clever direct audience address, the use of space and creating an imaginative vision had been missed. Despite this, Bagge brought out all the emotions of the piece well and in all the right places, taking the audience along nicely.

The final aspect of ‘Decommissioned’ that must get a mention is the all-encompassing sound scape of wind, sea, and rain that allows James Ireland to put their artistic stamp on this play. For me, the soundscape tied the whole play all together as it presented a constant reminder of the presence of nature over the everyday. It made me feel as if I was freezing cold and soaking wet as we all sheltered in the theatre together, trying to avoid the looming threat of the climate. Having this as a constant sound throughout the whole piece was a daring decision and one that completely elevated this piece and added to its ability to play with the audience and completely immerse us in Fairebourne.

‘Decommissioned’ is a great play with an imaginative setting, intimate and honest performances, and a visceral soundscape that brings the audience to a water-filled natural Welsh landscape as they are forced to meander through the realities of the climate crisis. We are transported to an outdoor learning centre, the top of a rainy hill, a cold, windy beach, and into to the intricacies of a love story between two childhood sweethearts. All the while being reminded that the world as we know it, is very quickly falling apart. Whilst the script and overall direction quickly felt familiar, this is a fringe show that you should try and catch. Although they can’t promise that it will be an escape from the cold and rain that we’ve had in London this week.

Box Office https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/decommissioned

Photo credit Lidia Crisafulli

Reviewed by Amy Tickner