REVIEW: ONE AND THE OTHER, Camden Fringe show at Etcetera Theatre, 29th July to 2nd August 2024

‘comparing two very relevant narratives of hatred infecting people’s lives’ ★★★ ½

ONE AND THE OTHER, written by Kent Stetson, approaches the topic of terrorism from an angle of hope, represented by Fadi Malo’s Zaydan and an angle of hatred evoked by Aiden Cottreau as Kerry. These men’s lives are introduced to us through a split narrative that begins with a young boy, Zaydan, assumed terrorist and imprisoned for ten years in Guantanamo Bay. His story is one heard often but rarely explored in depth, especially from the perspective of the tortured. Zaydan’s narrative is interrupted to explore the malevolent indoctrination of another young man by far-right extremists in Canada. While this plotline is a tad confusing, there is something to be said about the ruthless examination of a teenage boy who happens to be in Afghanistan while terrorist extremists in Canada find surreptitious ways to connect with each other. The split narrative is not used to compare how people become terrorists, as one might expect going into this play, but rather to examine how the West has responded to the ever-worrisome threat of terrorism.

Littered amongst the split narrative are scenes that are truly brutal; acts of torture and acts of terrorism denying the audience an easy watch. With no props in sight, it would have been easy to fall into the trap of looking a little silly. A prisoner held up by chains that aren’t there and a terrorist wielding a non-existent gun doesn’t sound like it would make for believable theatre. This is saved by the sound and lighting design which elevates these scenes from goofiness to realism.

It must be said, however, that this production is not engaging because of its narrative, which can get a little monotonous, or its design. Rather, the superb acting of Fadi Malo and Aiden Cottreau make this a performance worth attending. Despite playing rather the stereotypical ‘optimistic prisoner’ and ‘poorly-raised nihilist’ characters, the pair do a tremendous job of portraying their respective despair and insanity. I only wish that they had a little more to do with their characters; potentially this production could have benefitted from questioning Zaydan and Kerry’s core beliefs. To avoid some repetitive scenes, it would have been interesting to see Zaydan question the faith that kept him going through prison and Kerry the morality of his actions. I reiterate that these were truly standout performances, but the play as a whole was weakened by the predictable exploration of their core beliefs.

One and the Other’s storyline has excellent beginnings, comparing two very relevant narratives of hatred infecting people’s lives. It could have benefited from a little more depth to avoid falling into the caricature depictions it invokes, but the framework for a thought-provoking production is certainly there. I hope to see more of what Kent Stetson and Rahul Ghandhi (co-directors) have to offer. It was refreshing to be introduced to Canadian Theatre in such a London-focused festival. I would even encourage them to keep going with ONE AND THE OTHER, just with the odd tweak made to offer a more nuanced depiction of this solemn topic.

Box Office link: https://camdenfringe.com/events/one-and-the-other/