REVIEW: FORGOTTEN IN THE LAND OF EGYPT at The Space 8 - 18 October 2024

“a text full of unconventional ideas and quippy dialogue, brought it to life with some absorbing acting.” ★★★ 1\2

If Forgotten in the land of Egypt could be described in one word then ‘ambitious’ would be rather fitting. Not in scale or grandeur, but in the execution of ideas and subject matter, of which there are lots. In many ways it pulls off its attempts to align these ideas with some great dialogue and acting, yet there's an unwavering inkling that there’s a deeper story that never quite connects or is allowed to surface.

In the wake of the success of his ‘RSC 37 Plays’ award winning North Star, Tom Murray’s follow up begins in a dystopian future set in the east of England where a boy and girl scavenge debris for their own survival. Instantly, we can interpret that this world is as harsh as its surroundings, not only by its post-apocalyptic setting but by the raw and naive attitudes of both characters. Their friendship is both a necessity and a vulnerability and their relationship alone is enough to tell the story of the world they are in.

The second act jumps back in time to the present day where a priest, Bathsheba, is visited by Clare, a woman who is haunted by vivid dreams which, to her, seem real. Bathsheba’s determination to help Clare, despite her husband Harry’s scepticism, becomes the main driver of the play along with the mystery surrounding Clare’s background and her motives. It’s not just the time period that feels different but the genre too with suggestions of the supernatural creeping through.

The play spends the third act weaving between both time periods and making the connections between them and with a mythical Waterman. There’s a David Lynchesqe feeling to these later proceedings which leaves just as many questions as answers by the time the actors take their bows.

While some questions are likely designed to linger long after the play concludes, perhaps some exist in trying to take on so many themes. By doing so, the play loses sight of some core objectives and there’s a sense that some of the connections fail to land. The dystopian world, for example, plays out as incidental rather than intended and the impact of climate change would have been inconspicuous had it not been part of the promotion.

Murray’s dialogue, however, is anything but incidental. It is bold and strong and superbly contrasting between the time periods. He brings his characters to life through intricate subtext and manages to deliver some rewarding moments when the connections do land. His first act is a little lacking in engagement but his second act is captivating and almost immediately grabs the audience’s attention, helped by some exceptional acting.

The characters across both time periods are played by the same actors. Isabella Thompson gives a terrific performance as both the boy and Clare, managing to jump effortlessly from the high energy youth to the mentally delicate sufferer. Meanwhile, Layla Chowdhury gives a compassionate performance as Bathsheba which draws the audience in after an intense first act while also complimenting Isabelle’s boy with a more grounded, yet layered, ‘girl’. Finally, George Kirby-Smith, confidently supports in the roles of Harry and the Waterman and is responsible for some of the much needed lighter moments.

The direction from Katie Thompson is slick and measured. She uses the large stage on offer at The Space efficiently and does a commendable job of bringing some of Murray’s aforementioned ‘rewarding moments’ to life. There were a couple of questionable instances, such as the decision to have the boy and girl dressed like Clare and Bathsheba later in the play, which seemed more erroneous than deliberate at first, and even now it is difficult to determine whether or not it was a consequence of the plot.

Forgotten in the land of Egypt has an array of positives worth experiencing. The Mango Ensemble theatre company have taken a text full of unconventional ideas and quippy dialogue and brought it to life with some absorbing acting. However, the bulk of the play is deserving of a more progressive first act and a more clarifying unravelling and it’s unfortunate that these have been left within touching distance.

Theatre Company: The Mango Ensemble @mangoensembletc

Tickets: https://space.org.uk/event/forgotten-in-the-land-of-egypt/#tabs-booking

Writer: Tom Murray

Director: Katie Thompson

Cast

Girl / Bathsheba: Layla Chowdhury

Boy / Clare: Isabella Thompson

Waterman / Harry: George Kirby-Smith