New Diorama Theatre 2 – 27 May. Reviewed by Claire Roderick
Engineer Theatre Collective’s new production is a spine-tingling story about fear. The first act takes part in almost total darkness. Being told that before we entered got me a little nervous before anything started, but a charming introduction from Simon Lyshon relaxed and acclimatised the audience.
Two explorers enter a huge sinkhole in Mexico – Ethan, a caving guide, and Hana, a PhD student searching for Mayan pots. Early on, the fact that there should be more than 2 people in an expedition is presented, so you just know this isn’t going to end well. They don’t find pots, but what they do find has a profound effect on Ethan and the first act builds to an almost cinematic climax. The second act feels like a completely different play at first, with Hana, now pregnant recovering from her ordeal and looking to the future with her boyfriend. But her conviction that events signal that something bad is coming builds, and there are some classic horror moments that made the audience jump.
Oscar Wyatt’s lighting design and Dominic Kennedy’ sound design is phenomenal, creating a truly eerie and nerve jarring atmosphere. The use of head torches to downlight the actor’s faces in the cave makes them seem otherworldly, and the glimpses of the audience behind the actors in the torchlight enhances the feeling of a ghostly presence. The physical movement to depict their journey through the narrow passages was a little “mime artist” at first, but you soon bought into the action, and got carried away by the story.
Ellie Isherwood is fantastic as Hana, moving from academic excitement to panic and fear very convincingly in act one, and portraying Han’s torment in act two sensitively but powerfully in act two. Simon Lyshon is completely unnerving as Ethan when he flips out, and Archie Backhouse makes you want to give Daniel a slap – which is just as it should be.
The contrast between Daniel’s rational engineer thinking, and Hana’s intuitive and emotional actions is portrayed cleverly. The concept of life as energy being constantly recycled is explored in an entertaining and thought-provoking way, and the ending led to a lot of debate on the way home about whether Hana should be afraid or accepting.
The Gap in the Light is fringe theatre at its best – intelligent, entertaining, and with some real shocks.