Review: Mind: The Gap

Pembroke’s New Cellars reaches new heights with Lily Sneddon’s play Mind: The Gap, that is rich in both twists and train references. It follows a group of friends trying to piece together what happened the night of a deadly car accident that no one can seem to remember. Different storylines cascade and collide in this piece as we follow each character reflect on what they can recall from that fateful night and if anyone is to blame.

As the audience walks in to take their seats, they are met with eerie music and muted lighting – creating an ambience that nicely sets the tone for the rest of the night: nothing is quite as it seems. The staging is plain, with the audience sat on either side of a barren catwalk (a traverse stage for the theatre-buffs among you) with a couple blocks forming make-shift seats at one end. Do not be fooled by the set’s simplicity though, once the train leaves the station (the play begins) what was once a catwalk is now a platform, a kitchen and more. The audience is also fully emersed in the play with actors meandering between rows and seats, the directors Lily Sneddon and Charlie McGuire really made the most of what the New Cellars had to offer through their clever staging.

Image Credit: Charlie McGuire

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I would also be remiss not to mention Lily’s incredible writing at this point (a woman of many talents), her creativity and skill shine through in this drama. Inspired by past concussions she had had at Uni, Lily said that she wanted to explore amnesia and how it might impact a person. As well as this, she was also interested in how themes of betrayal and guilt could be expressed through a story around memory-loss and why people might do the wrong things for the right reasons.

These aims are certainly conveyed through the piece, where Lily intricately weaves together different character motivations and memories without allowing the storyline to go off the track. She is able to hold the audience in the palm of her hand – delicately feeding them bits of information without ruining the intrigue or leaving the audience so frustrated that they are blowing steam. The script is mainly colloquial, though within it are glowing coals of profound insight and imagery that remind the audience of the play’s central themes and questions. However, one might argue that there are a few too many questions that the audience is left with – sometimes the balance between keen to know more and confused tips in the latter direction.

Image credit: Charlie McGuire and Emma Bradley

While some performances were stronger than others, overall the cast was captivating and effectively brought the script to life. A stand-out would be Tahmid Azam (Murph) – an incredible conductor that drove the plot and emotion forward. His subtle but emotion-full performance perfectly portrayed a man lost in his own mind and allowed moments of high emotional intensity to properly make an impact. His scenes with the sly Frank (Harry Davies) were also a highlight, as the two complimented each other well, similar to the other duo of Cait (Emma Bradley) and Kelly (Rosemary Zhang). The straight-laced Kelly was a wonderful counterbalance to the spunky Cait, who also provides moments of light relief for the audience among the story’s central tragedy. Lily’s Niamh is also well done as a dazed and peculiar woman who you just cannot quite read, similar to Krystyna Lazaro’s Vil – a dedicated and upbeat mother who leaves much hidden.

Though there might be limited lighting technology in the New Cellars, what was there was used successfully to help communicate changing emotional states within scenes. What was arguably slightly overused was the blackout, while it was functional in separating storylines and time, it also lead to moments of awkward, dark silence – punctuated only by the sounds of creaking chairs. I do however admire the bold decision to not include sound in the piece, it aided in engaging the audience in the world of the play and increased the realism of the character interactions being shown.

Overall, this play is definitely a worthwhile watch. As well as testing your detective skills, it’s an entertaining night that will certainly leave you with a lot to discuss (at least the entourage that I brought certainly did). The show takes you through several emotions (much like a train takes you to several stations), at times making you feel intrigue, stress, amusement and at points off-the-rails – making it a lively and enjoyable experience.

Image Credit: Charlie McGuire and Emma Bradley

So, if you want reassurance that your bike is a better and safer way to get round Cambridge than a car, or if you are missing a little bit of mystery in Michaelmas, why not come to the show?

3.5/5

Mind: The Gap is showing Wednesday 13^th November- Saturday 16^th November at the Pembroke New Cellars. Book your tickets here.