Eigengrau

Eigengrau is the colour that people profess to see with absence of any light and is a choice metaphor for the covering up of female rape and abuse that forms a strong plot-line in Penelope Skinner’s play.

It is good to see such a vital and vibrant production and it’s two young directors: Tate Jackson and Rex Elliott have given this play an edge that really works for an audience of today. Their choices and use of projection and particularly the drumming by Dylan Sweet, not only covers the multiple scene changes, but add hugely to the style and pace of the production.

It centres around four characters Cassie ( Sophia Pettit) as the one character determined to make a stand against much of the abuse that women are subjected to. She shares a flat with Rose ( Phoebe Jones) the polar opposite to her, who can only measure her life when supported by a man. Unfortunately the man in question is Mark ( Niall O’Mara) an 80k a year bullshitter who strings both girls along to pamper his own selfish needs. He shares a flat with the much maligned Tim (Finn Elliot) who is desperate to find a girl that will like him. And at the start of Skinner’s play these characters appear more humorous and caricatured which jars a little, but when they really develop is in the second half when we get to see the flaws and cruelness that the combination of these four create, with tragic consequences. There are strong performances from all, but the stand-out performance was Elliot’s Tim, his demeanour and total commitment to the character was outstanding.

There are moments when the play becomes a hard watch. The prolonged description of Cassie’s paper on female rape projected on a screen as she types it out felt a little too strong as the opening moment of the play. Having said that, Jackson and Elliott have very much put their own mark on this piece, involved in almost all the areas of the production. As a result, what they have achieved, with very little budget is a credit to their huge talents. Certainly, directors to watch out for in the future.