The Dark Room Review - New Diorama Theatre, London, UK

By MJ Palleschi / May 1, 2012

rating: 4

When you enter the Dark Room of writer and director David Byrne, it's like entering one of those video games from the 80s with all the ringing sound effects and green blinking typeface included. The Dark Room presented by PIT, a multi-award winning theatre company, is truly a visual experience. The direction is clever and tricks the audience with its polished choreography. Actors pop out from behind rolling blackboards and spin around on old school wooden desks. The blackboards, desks, digital backdrop and live music make up the minimalist scenery of this play. According to Byrne, the writing is partly inspired by Brecht's The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui ,where a depression era Chicago is taken over by Hitler and his gang of thugs. In this play the gang is made up of two bullies the new girl at school, Ruth, played brilliantly by Madeleine MacMahon and her delinquent boyfriend, James, played by a very bullish Ed Cobbold, who manage to scheme their way to the top doing whatever it takes to get there. Our cast of characters at school are all well-defined and include the €œperfect girl€, Jessica (Hannah Duncan ), the nerd and editor at large of the school paper, Ethel (Leah Milner), the head boy, Luke (Andy McLeod) and the frumpy teacher, June (Natalie York). They are an ensemble which are completely in synch with one another and they do not miss a beat. It is refreshing to see theatre as visually stimulating as this! The PIT theatre company has a unique vision of how theatre can not only dazzle us but also stretches our theatre-going experience into another dimension. They should not be missed! The New Diorama Theatre also should not be missed and is one of the top fringe venues in London. It's tucked among the shiny modern buildings of Regent's Place just follow the mesmerising digital walking girl, you'll understand when you get there! Just 3 minutes from Warren Street station. To find out more about the New Diorama Theatre please visit http://www.newdiorama.com/ and for more on the PIT Theatre Company check out http://www.pit-online.co.uk/.