Review: WHO ARE YOU? Soundstage (Online)

Presented as a joint venture between Pitlochry Festival Theatre and The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Who Are You? is a short play depicting a conversation between Vivian (Georgie Glen) and ‘The Presence’ (Saskia Ashdown), which enters Vivian’s home without invitation and refuses to leave. Vivian has moved to the countryside to live alone and yet according to ‘The Presence’ is never alone… 

The play poses a lot of what we would have hoped would be thought-provoking questions about climate change and the environment focusing on ownership, blame and guilt. Unfortunately, Who Are You?’s statements come across as preachy and self-righteous and don’t actually allow for the opening on the conversation we believe they were after. We genuinely agree and acknowledge the conversations which must be had about these tough subjects, especially in the wake of a pandemic that has stopped the world in its tracks and caused the majority of people to rethink their priorities in life but regrettably, Who Are You? misses the mark on bringing awareness and we found ourselves feeling lectured at times. 

The play is not without its bright moments, however. Glen and Ashdown produce some beautiful acting moments,; even in the difficult setting of an audio-play, you feel transported and almost like flies on the wall in Vivian’s countryside home. Paul Cargill and Louis Blatherwick, the play’s sound designer and recordist, do a wonderful job in inviting theatre’s dramatic yet intimate feeling to each listener, with interesting use of different sound effects to drive the play’s message. 

We do appreciate, Besties, that with all of these lovely and innovative new avenues of theatre and performance, there is always a margin for development and we are interested to see what you take away when you catch the Who Are You? audio-play, premiering on Sound Stage between 29-31 October here.

** Two stars

Reviewed by: Natalie Pedro