A nuanced look at right and wrong

The Standard Short Long Drop by Rachel Garnet is a one act exploration of what it means to be human. Playing with the game theory of the worth of a life, we meet Ludley and Alistair in a quandary over death in what is billed as ‘an exploration of class, mortality and unlikely friendship’.

Per Carminger is Ludley the young ‘horse thief’ thrown into a cell with Alistair played by Kevin Wathen. When Ludley is offered a choice, hang or be hanged he struggles with the meaning of right and wrong and taking a life. 

The beauty in this piece really belongs in the truthful storytelling from both actors, consistently listening to each other, reacting and exploring the depth of each moment. Wathen’s (Alistar) character is harder to connect with deliberately and he negotiates this slightly sanctimonious role with real nuance. Carminger (Ludley) is the lovable rogue who’s northern accent work is occasionally influenced by Wathens Geordie lilt. 

Writer Rachel Garnet does a good job in playing with the question of morality and worth but occasionally trite. The idea of responsibility and choices plays out in multiple ways. Set in Victorian York the period seems at a conflict with the language used throughout – lots of modern colloquial language which doesn’t seem to be a stylised choice. 

Time shifts were negotiated with movement and soundscapes which I found slightly conflicting with the piece. The sound in particular was so modern it felt incongruous. 

Sadly the show had one major flaw in its new home at The Vanguard – I barely saw any of it. The awkward thrust staging in an attempt to utilise the misaligned space was restrictive particularly to my view. To be brutally honest most of the time it was almost an audio-drama. (Don’t even get me started on how uncomfortable the chairs were.) 

I’d actually be keen to watch this show again as I feel like my experience was marred by the seating.