Review: Going Down

‘Going Down’ is a quaint, humourous play about an elevator – and a murder. Written by Lucy Molnar and directed by Mia Urwin, this play is worth going to see if you’re looking for something lighthearted this week.

In the beginning, the play is set up to be an amusing, awkward play about an odd group of people getting stuck in a faulty elevator in a shopping mall. The eclectic group of people promise an amusing series of interactions which one would expect from a comedy. Then it takes a rather shocking turn. All of a sudden, it goes from a comedy of time and place, to a comedy about a murder. And then a series of murders.

Although the plot did feel a bit rushed, especially around halfway through, there was always a rather amusing element of surprise. The audience never knew what would happen next.

Image credits: Lily Burge-Thomas

The main body of the humour was based in Gen-Z jokes, which was modern, fresh, and certainly suitable for a student-written play. Although there were moments when the jokes felt slightly cringe-worthy, or just completely random, the actors’ commitment to the lines and their impeccable comedic timing made sure that most of the jokes landed. For the majority of the play, the audience was in hysterics.

The actors were committed sufficiently to their roles, and it was obvious that the tone of the play was playful. Notably,  Sameera Bowers who played Janice, an upper-middle-class mother (full-time journalist, part-time TikToker), performed particularly well. The audience was always laughing through her lines, especially those on the phone with her husband. As well as this, Macky Padilla, who played Gopher, proved to be a fan-favourite. His endearing, albeit ridiculous character, made his (possible?) death all the more shocking.

Image credits: Lily Burge-Thomas

Another well-executed element of this play was the lighting. Lighting designer Ruweena Perera did a fantastic job at using the lighting to capture the mood of the play. There was one moment, near towards the end of the play, when the characters began to imagine different scenarios about the murder. For each scenario, the light was a different colour, and it was easier to separate these hypothetical scenes with the actual events of the play – very well done!

Admittedly, the storyline became convoluted towards the end. The murderer’s motivation became slightly blurred, as did who had actually been murdered. Within the narrative, it felt as if there was too much of a focus on humour, which often felt forced, and too little of a focus on plausibility. Even so, I would say that overall, the play is an enjoyable experience, especially if you prioritise comedy over common sense.

Image credits: Lily Burge-Thomas

Despite my mixed thoughts on ‘Going Down’, it is still a fun, unserious play. If you’re in the mood for a laugh, it’s definitely worth going to see.

3/5

Going Down is showing on the 1^st – 4^th of March at 9:30 pm at the Corpus Playroom. Book your tickets here.

Featured image credits: Katie Wrench

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