The Dark Up Close
★★★★☆ Stark warning
Scottish Storytelling Centre: Wed 26 – Thurs 27 March, 2025
Review by Sophie Good
In The Dark Up Close, Strange Town’s Young Company have co-created a new play with writer Jack MacGregor foretelling a new war and mandatory conscription for young people.
During the 2024 election campaign, conservative former chair of the Defence Committee, Tobias Ellwood, described the reintroduction of National Service for young people as a “bold but necessary policy”. Here, the STYC, all aged between 18 and 25, explore what that might look like, in a stark production which feels especially pertinent in current times.
Orla Bayne, Brodie Reekie, James Anderson and Katy Thorne in The Dark Up Close. Pic: Andy Catlin.
The young characters of the play, all dressed in a muted military colour palette, go through the many emotions inevitable when conscription is brought in with zero exemptions. They deny, they plead, they even fake being on an Olympic team, but eventually they all must join.
Those in charge have little sympathy and assign roles randomly: “You liked your uncle’s boat? The Navy!”, and with a stomp of the feet, it’s on to the next one. There is a theme throughout of those in charge being mundane, uncaring and lacking logic. Which is perhaps an indictment of how this age group feels about decisions being made in the world around them.
increasingly pointless mission
The rest of the play follows the fate of the various duties the company have been given. One group are on a ship, unsure exactly where they are bound for, or why. Another group wanders about the forest on increasingly pointless missions, and another guards an enormous canon.
Brodie Reekie, Lovel Hearn, Katy Thorne, James Anderson and Euan Huth in The Dark Up Close. Pic: Andy Catlin.
None of them make it very far from home (we can see Kirkcaldy from here!). As the play progresses, it is clear that they are on the eve of war but, perhaps, are not actually going to get beyond that. It all feels rather futile, the recruits are bored, under-trained and restless. They have one phone between them and can’t reach home.
Set designer Kate Innes keeps it simple, with a projected background indicating the different locations. The formation of different troops lends itself well to the large groups in a big cast production, although there is the occasional moment of feeling somewhat overcrowded on stage.
collapse
The collapse of the system feels inevitable when it comes. The foot soldiers rebel against their officers, refuse to play ball and there is mutiny amongst the ranks. This is no Lord of the Flies; but it is well-paced drama: revealing a quite feasible and believable turn of events, especially when the reluctant recruits never believed in the cause in the first place.
Maya Coates in The Dark Up Close. Pic: Andy Catlin.
There are some moments of real pathos. The friendship between Avery (an authentic Maya Coates) and Sheridan (played just right by James Anderson) gives the play the heart that it needs. The pilot (Lovel Hearn) is another highlight. His love of maths and fear of flying feeling like a real throwback to the WW2 bomber pilots.
There are of course some who believe, and their complicity is also compelling. Euan Huth plays a power crazed officer who is keen to play things by the book and is somewhat over enthusiastic about their massive cannon.
credit
Every performer of this large cast commits to their character and situation. It is an ensemble who are comfortable in their own skin and it’s a credit to Debi Pirie’s direction that the production holds together so well.
Eve Buglass and Kathryn Scott in The Dark Up Close. Pic: Andy Catlin.
The Dark Up Close feels as if it is really listened to the young people taking part. It reflects their world view and explores the repercussions of those in charge being out of touch. The performances are well paced, detailed and real, in a play that has much to say about young people’s feelings towards national defence and ‘boots on the ground’ in these tumultuous times.
We all need to give that our attention.
Running time: One hour and 10 minutes (no interval)
Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High St, EH1 1SR. Phone booking: 0131 556 9579
Wed 26/Thurs 27 March 2025.
Evening: 7.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Follow Strange Town:
Website: http://www.strangetown.org.uk/
Facebook: @strangetowntheatre
Instagram: @strangetownco.
BlueSky: @strangetownco.
Orla Bayne, Brodie Reekle, James Anderson, Katy Thorne and Matthew Forsyth in The Dark Up Close. Pic: Andy Catlin.
ENDS
