A gritty commentary on the differing variations of grief
‘Peace Circle’ is a fifty-minute production by Sheffield University Theatre Company that asks the question: What is the relationship between grief and justice? On a simply-set stage, six actors explore the dynamics between these two concepts and between themselves in a ‘peace circle’ – a method of restorative justice that brings victim and perpetrator together in one place.
The play is heavy: there is no doubt about that. Between the grimly flickering lights and the tense conversations that escalate between physical violence and vicious shouting, the company don’t shy away from exploring the difficulties of the situation that the characters find themselves in. A family facing the young person responsible for their son’s death – or so the parents fully believe – is a sensitive and highly complex topic to portray, and the company does it justice.
The script, while commendable in most elements, leaves the audience feeling unsatisfied with the ending. The themes and topics that arise between characters seem to melt away; problems that had far from been fixed are seemingly glossed over; the play concludes with a sense of peace that isn’t quite built up to by the end. Rather than a resolution, which the script tries to offer, leaving us with a sense of perpetuity for these characters may have been a more thematically effective way to go, as that is what the rest of the play seems to hint at.
Nonetheless, it cannot be overstated how fantastic the acting and storytelling was. The decisions made in staging the play, and in creating compelling, intricate characters, is applaudable, and it was difficult not to get hooked. If you’re looking for a psychological play that will leave you with questions and a sense of unease about the efficiency of the justice system, then this is the show for you!
‘Peace Circle’ is a show at the Edinburgh Fringe from the 18th to the 23rd of August. Tickets available here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/peace-circle.