Darknet

Many thanks to Fylde Coast Youth Theatre for inviting me to see their production of Rose Lewenstein’s Darknet on 10th December 2023 at the Blackpool Grand Studio Theatre. Following from last years’ epic presentation of ‘Flesh’ it was no surprise to see this group tackling yet another gritty & relevant thematic production tackling data security, exploitation, addiction & AI.  

The show, directed by Debbie Parkinson & Hannah Brook, had the audience immersed into the dystopian world of Octopus INC from the outset, as the audience entered into studio space to the cast undertaking physical theatre style improvisation situating the context into an anonymous digital world, represented through faceless masked bodies recording from their mobile phone & intruding into the audience’s personal space, immediately breaking the fourth wall & introducing the piece to the political theatre style the piece retained throughout. Adding to this, the play was presented in a traverse style, using various theatrical styles juxtaposed atop of each other, sometimes simultaneously running scenes to unveil the plot & the synergies to the theme throughout. There were great, in-depth characterisations, which stabilised the action in the space & some nice moments of comedy injected to create light relief from the heavy threads being woven within the space. The moments of physical theatre to me may have been stronger with a less improvised feel & I felt the opening could have guided the audience into the story further with additional focal points, these suggestions are minutia though as I feel the narrative & ambition for the work was crystal clear. 

The staging, in addition to the comments above, utilised 2 main focal points, at the 2 extremities of the traverse, where much of the focal action was presented from 2 of the main narratives. For the remainder, the set was fluid throughout the performance and ensured that all audience members had sight of action throughout. This was amplified through the lighting, which was detailed & in line with the high-tech themes established. There was also use of projection & screens to add further dimension to the technical design of the production. The costume represented the stylised feel of the production well, using theatre blacks as a staple throughout with key characters enhanced through detailed costume, allowing for emotional osmosis to be further explored with the audience on their journeys. 

Holistically, the cast moved as a solid ensemble throughout the production & I was impressed with the mature & sensitive way they dealt with such heavy topics at hand. Acting in an intimate theatre space, with the offstage space being on show for much of the performance, I was rarely distracted by offstage action, & this is a testament to the professionalism of the entire cast. 

With no disrespect to other named performers, there were a few standout performances which I will call out within the remainder of the review. Isaac Ashcroft played Jamie, an unsociable & technically minded genius. He provided good intensity to this role & alluded to some of the autistic traits the text notated well through presenting text as matter of fact, with heightened outbursts & avoidance of direct eye-contact. Charlie Warren played the professional socialite with sensitivity, using repeated use of hand gestures one would associate with a high-powered businessman or politician. Kiera Peake played Kyla, a youth who the thread between the narratives. This was very well played, with honesty & depth portrayed throughout, with detailed intent behind every thought, moment & reaction. Flo Maskery played Kyla’s mother, Stacey. This character deals with the depths of addition & the issues & conflicts this this imposes to herself & as a mother. This was so sensitively played so that the audience related to the issues unjudgementally. Similarly, Georgina Bamber tackled the role of Candy, the webcam actress, with equal sensitivity & was strong in this role. Stuart Wade Stevenson created 2 detailed characterisations as Steve, Jamie’s dad, & Gary, a hacker who we learn created a virus which exposed Octopus Inc’s data. Both characters were extremely genuine & the contrast between the 2 led to an outstanding performance. Rhys Cullen provided a high-energy & dynamic performance as the TV show host Donny D. Shameer Amir performed well at portraying the executive character Hiensburg & double role played as John. Olivia Kohl gave a strong, bold performance as the dealer’s henchman, Roxy, as well as playing multiple other roles within show. 

Thanks again to Fylde Coast Youth Theatre for the opportunity to watch & review this fantastic production & I look forward to seeing their 2024 season. 

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