Set in an isolated lighthouse, these young actors give a strong performance as they battle with the ghosts of their past.
Set in a remote lighthouse, Quiet Light follows a lonely lighthouse keeper Ava (Elizabeth Anderson) struggles with the arrival of a marooned sailor and tries to cope with the arrival of marooned sailor Ray (Oisin Maguire). They are driven to madness by the ghosts of the deceased nearest and dearest in the form of Ava’s mother, Mandy (KC Thomas), and Ray’s wife, Cam (Anna Sylvester). Forced to decide whether to leave their tiny rock for good or stay with the shadows from their past, it’s a chilling and dramatic piece of theatre.
The show’s greatest strength is its writing. The plot blends mystery with moments of irreverent humour and suddenly bursts of emotion as the secrets come flooding out.
Their haunting seems like a clever play on the sirens that terrified sailors of old, and the theme of isolation at sea on a planet increasingly submerged under the waves is very prescient. Overall, it’s a highly creative piece of work, and writer Erin Hutton should be incredibly proud. However, I would like to see her work with director Rio Rose Joubert to improve the pacing of the storyline. The performers rattle through scenes as if they are in a hurry, which generally detracts from the ghostly drama and the lighthouse’s isolated feel.
After a slightly nervous start, both Anderson and Maguire grow into their starring roles and play off each other well. Anderson does a great job of capturing the stress of the situation as things begin to unravel, but could show a greater range in the isolation and madness the characters face.
Maguire performs admirably and captures the dark comedy and despondency of his role well, using his timing to deliver some killer lines. His interactions with his departed wife Cam are a strong point and provide a warm contrast to the chill sea air of the lighthouse.
This is in a large part due to Sylvester, who gives the standout performance of the four; moving between loving and menacing, her physical performance is excellent, and it is a shame she is not used more.
Finally, KC Thomas performs her ethereal, ghostly role well as she glides on and off stage and provides some of the loudest and most dramatic moments of the show. Her makeup and costume are another strong point, although a little more evil would not go amiss.
I found the lighting and sound really added to the performance, especially as the staging is minimalist; Deep blue lighting and soft lapping of waves on an unseen shore intermingle with a half-sung sea shanty in another impressive display of creativity. It serves to make the most of the tiny space in the cellar of the Curtain’s Up pub in Baron’s Court.
Overall, Quiet Light is an impressively strong production from a young team, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for all involved.
Quiet Light runs at Barons Court Theatre until the 18th of April. Tickets here.