Who Is Moloch? is the new play from writer Pamela Carralero and Encompass Productions, which runs at the Visual Collective on Vyner St in Cambridge Heath until 9 February.
Directed by Zuri Warren, and played out by a cast of eleven (with a further three disembodied voices off-stage) Who Is Moloch? is the dark psychological tale of a cadre of soldiers caught up at the start of a vast global conflict that in its first days has already ravaged the earth’s surface. Overseen by stoic Sgt Major Dr Bernard Baker (Andrew Miller) and the stern, unyielding Major Fuller (Austin Caley), the young fresh-faced conscripts huddle in their shelter deep underground and, when not patrolling, take refuge in the haze of a sleep-inducing drug that prevents dreaming – the only way that they can escape the dark ancient horrors that otherwise greet them whenever they close their eyes.
Enter the angry and belligerent Airman Maynard (played by Jonathan Whittaker) and his amour, efficient but gentle psychologist Areena Louis (Tara Postma) whose sudden appearance brings some sanity to a situation that is quickly spiraling into chaos. With the help of a threadbare copy of Midsummer Nights Dream Louis soothes the troubled brows of the soldiers as she reads to them, but very soon this dusty tome is responsible for tearing down the veil between reality and fantasy, and madness and death soon follow…
The play, part sci-fi apocalypse and part Shakespearean drama, is an odd beast. What I do know is that as the lights came up at the end I felt extremely unsettled – all credit to the creative team and the actors that when I stepped outside I half expected to discover that Hackney had been reduced to hot ash and rubble…
Particular plaudits are due to Austin Caley, Jonathan Whittaker and Luke Manning Wallis who gave very impassioned performances, and to Alex Burnett for the dark and complex soundscape that accompanied the play (you can hear some of his work on the play’s specially designed website). Hilary McCool’s innovative costuming (part Shakespeare/part Blake’s Seven) was also noteworthy, as was the strange iconography developed by Jonathan Woodhouse (which again can be seen on the Who Is Moloch? site) which popped up here and there around the performance space (if you go along to the production note signage on the walls and the soldier’s creed tacked to the wall – very inventive.)
Who Is Moloch? runs until 9 February with performances at 7pm each night, with an added 3:30pm matinée on Wednesday 6 February. Tickets are priced at just £10.
Follow @WhoIsMoloch and hashtag #molochiscoming on Twitter to hear what other people are saying about the show…
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear
About Pete Stean
