An exploration of the impacts of bullying, homophobia and the cesspool that is social media
Gio is hiding out in a cave deep in the forest of an Italian village. He ran away, leaving behind a mass of confused chaos. Gio was bullied, treated terribly by his blatantly homophobic high school classmates. Feeling alone in the world, he decides to leave it behind and start a new life in the cave, shrouded by darkness. He’d been there for eight days when Mirko stumbles upon him. Mirko is both scared and intrigued, surprised that he has accidentally discovered the missing boy from his high school. The two strike up an unlikely companionship, Gio becoming more and more reliant on Mirko’s visits, both for practical reasons, such as increasing his supply of food, but more importantly, for company. As the weeks go by, the two grow close, sharing sheltered moments in the isolation of the cave. In the outside world, the frenzied search for Gio rages on; news campaigns galore implore the public to help find the missing boy, search parties scour the village and its surrounds, TikTok booms with Gio and Mirko’s peers obsessing over Gio’s mysterious disappearance. Gio feigns annoyance at the attention, but the moment it starts to wane, he and Mirko cook up another means to keep the crowds searching. Their small world within the cave appears to suck the two of them in further and further as they grow closer, sharing intimate secrets, growing dearer than either of them seemingly expected to.
Hide and Seek feels as delicate as its circumstances. Having worked its way from a run in New York City, to the Vault Festival, and now to its Off-West End premiere at Park Theatre, this gentle yet heart-breaking play draws the audience in with the same force that seems to hold Mirko and Gio in their own little world. Louis Scarpa and Nico Cetrulo gave great performances as Gio and Mirko respectively, nurturing a chemistry that was exciting and fragile.
The play itself covers topical issues, namely that of bullying, homophobia and the concerning impacts of social media on young peoples. Hide and Seek highlights how these issues are endemic and pervasive. Though the play’s references to social media could feel at times synthetic and disjointed, its overarching message is crystal clear.
Tobia Rossi, Hide and Seek’s playwright, achieves an admirable feat: the piece is full of surprising twists and several gut-wrenching shocks; however, these don’t feel unwarranted. The writing is both outrageous and fragile, much like the spirits of teenage boys who feel unable to publicly be themselves. Eighty-five minutes seem to fly by, and before you can register the play’s unanticipated close, you are forced yourself to leave the cave and re-enter the real world of London, pondering what it is we can learn from watching a piece so poignant and relevant.