Past and future collide in a skilfully acted dystopian future
When I first saw the press release for They, I was intrigued by the prospect of seeing a performance in a busy, active library. Aside from academic pursuits, I never considered that the space could have another purpose. However, the library transported me to a dystopian future.
They, written by Kay Dick and adapted and co-created by Maxine Peake, Sarah Frankcom, and Imogen Knight, is an intriguing collection of 9 vignettes set in both the past and the future. In this world, where “no singles were speared” and “there’s always danger in livings,” artists and free-spirited individuals face constant danger. Violent vigilantes roam about, destroying anything that is aesthetically pleasing, cultivates sensibilities, or is poetry. They blind, mutilate, and even kill artists.
The unnamed, genderless narrator tries to convey their feelings while recounting the sequence of events through a game of “I said” and “they did.” Will they allow “no possible opening for confrontation” or will they rebel against the oppressors?
Maxine Peake portrays a powerful yet soft, dynamically charismatic, and introspective protagonist, showcasing a breadth and depth of emotions. The raw, poignant, and very relevant performance is approached with confidence, and the ending of the show leaves the audience on the edge of their seats. The sound design (by Melanie Wilson) continues to haunt me to this day, and the lighting (by Amy Mae) beautifully complements the amazing architecture.
I don’t think this reading should be the final dramatization of Kay Dick’s novel. The pacing of the piece was uneven, and setting it in a narrow traverse through the library limited both the range of motion and the visibility for the audience. Although the subject matter itself was inherently theatrical, the narrative felt strained and only skimmed the surface of the world building. I was left with many unanswered questions, possibly due to the fact that the show was less than 50 minutes long. Additionally, I didn’t fully understand the interaction with the audience and the filmmaker.
Raw and unhinged, the reading captures the horrors of a dystopian future in which nonconformity is punished and those in power want people to be anxious. As we witness book bans and cancel culture, perhaps it is fitting that the piece was mounted for the Manchester International Festival, which is focused on creating ambitious, relevant new work.