Buckle-in for the turbulence of this action-packed drama
*some spoilers ahead*
This 70-minute thriller by Oli Forsyth follows two newlyweds, Ray and Sylvia, who suddenly find themselves on board a hijacked plane en route to their honeymoon. The action is immediate from the start, with the plane is hijacked Sylvia becomes a hero, fighting the hijacker and giving the pilot time to regain consciousness when they’re a mere 4 seconds away from a fatal crash.
Anna Reid has created a masterful design for this production, constructing a hinged boarding bridge that leads from a hole in the stage up to a closed-off cockpit. Set in the traverse, all the action happens around this structure, demonstrating how the event of the hijacking remains an inescapable presence in the characters’ lives.
Direction by Daniel Raggett is similarly excellent, giving the play a dynamic energy and making total use of the small stage. Assisted by movement and fight directors George Mann and Alex Payne, this play showcases several thrilling movement sequences that leave the audience gasping for breath.
A constant stream of shivers run down my spine during the hijacking scene, every element of stagecraft works together in perfect harmony to create a terrifyingly realistic portrayal of such a traumatic event. This might be a good time to advise avoiding this play if you have a fear of flying.
A true ensemble piece, all three actors give exceptional performances. Anjana Vasan as a steadfast then spiralling Sylvia, Phil Dunster as her unempathetic husband Ray and Craige Els as a range of characters from father to pilot to the hijacker himself.
However, Forsyth’s play stumbles over two key pillars of its premise. Firstly, that swiftly after his arrest, the hijacker is released from custody on grounds of paranoia causing a psychotic episode. This lack of legal repercussion feels unrealistic, and is paired with the second unbelievable phenomenon, that no-one other than Sylvia seems to care. She is painted as the crazy, vindictive character seeking retribution against the hijacker who broke her ribs, while all the other passengers, the media and even the father of a 7-year old girl on the plane are totally at peace with his release. The play might even make more sense if the opposite were true, that everyone was seeking justice except one passenger.
In a world of cancel culture and mob-mentality, it’s difficult to believe everyone has been so easily able to forgive a hijacker attempting to murder 400 people, regardless of his precarious mental state. Every other element of this production is flawless, but this stumbling block prevents it from packing a punch.
Nevertheless, this is a thrilling play from start to finish. The brief running time barely gives the audience a chance to catch their breath and with a gruesome final scene, the end of this play leaves us reeling. It’s not quite realistic enough for me to cancel my next flight, but it’ll definitely make me buckle my seatbelt.