Placebo by Gritty Gaze Theatre Review

Written by Roby for Theatre and Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review. All views are our own

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‘Placebo’ is a new psychological thriller by Gritty Gaze Theatre. Returning to Liverpool after a run at the Edinburgh Fringe, this piece is promising, but could still do with some development in places. 

A true strength of this production is its cast. Corey Hudson leads the company with ease as Owen, going from strength to strength in a captivating performance. Sadie Kennedy (Zo) is another standout performer, whose death scene is a particularly striking moment. The cast of seven do well with the script they are given, and most of the jokes within the show land.

There are some really promising moments throughout the show; the use of movement (particularly within the first half) is effective, and I also loved the use of puppetry. Hats off to the puppeteers, and to Enya Morrin, who does a great job at bringing Gongle to life vocally. 

The direction throughout the show (Joel Cousins and Tyler Kane) is good. The cast clearly understand the material that they’re working with, and there is a clear creative vision throughout. Personally, I found some story beats within the writing to be a little confusing, even if they were perhaps designed to be deliberately ambiguous - we don’t really know where we are or what has happened. The use of projection to tell us what day of the event we were watching was really helpful, however I didn’t quite understand the difference between “present day”, “today”, and “present day Tuesday”. The writing is innovative, even if some story beats could be made clearer and the script as a whole could be refined. I was told the show had a run time of 100 minutes with an interval; however it ran for nearly 140. 

The design throughout the show is solid; costumes are used effectively and although the set is minimalistic, it works perfectly. The lighting design is also great, however there are times where it could be improved; blackouts do not last long enough to cover scene changes, and at times actors are lit from behind so the audience are unable to see any of their facial expressions. Unfortunately, there were also quite a few mic issues, meaning that clarity was sometimes lost. 

The only other disappointing element for me was that the production photographer was at times on stage, or obviously in the wings. This really took me out of the action, and felt a tad unprofessional. I understand that this was a one-night-only production and it’s great to have production pictures, however, it should never disrupt the production.

Overall, however, Placebo is a promising piece. It’s clearly found some fans already, as the production received a standing ovation. If some design elements could be improved, the plot at times be made clearer, and the show be condensed a little, then this show could be something brilliant. It deserves to be, as it clearly has a talented cast and promising pair of directors. I wish this show all the best for its future endeavours!

Placebo played at the Epstein Theatre, Liverpool on 21 July.

★ ★ ★