This production comprises three stories arising from the central theme of the effect of war and terror on modern society, by writer Phillip Whiteman. Cheekish Productions brought these shorts to life with great dexterity and subtlety and were well deserving of a better time slot and bigger audience.The charred remains of an Underground carriage door worked as a constant backdrop and located the action as the aftermath to the London Tube bombings of 2005. The burnt scene and dusty props served as a haunting reminder of the trauma which the characters were unable to escape; their lives now forever set against this one event. There were other pleasing choices in direction such as characters sitting with their backs to the audience to close themselves off from us, as if suggesting that their lives had become insular, nothing more than a re-run of the scene they looked upon. The three scenes were also unified by recurring motifs such as the chessboard and the bright war-time lights to disorientate the audience; this repetition complemented the strong script, which itself revisited certain ideas and phrases within the different scenes. Together these elements helped build an ominous, claustrophobic landscape of trauma and paranoia.I was certainly keen to see more from this company who were, for the most part, genuine in their urgent delivery of a demanding script. Whilst some of the acting did occasionally overflow into hysterical monotone, and perhaps the darker comic moments could have been more bravely excavated, this was for the most part, a very professional and convincing cast. Powerful monologues, coupled with some very poignant and sensitive moments in direction, as well as the undeniably commanding nature of the writing, meant I left the theatre feeling deeply moved, and with the disconcerting understanding of what it takes for a loving person to become desiring of revenge.
