REVIEW | The Silence & the Noise by Tom Powell
Written by Penny
Disclaimer: We were invited to watch this online performance in return for a review
This new digital play was written by Tom Powell for Pentabus Theatre Company, whose focus is on the contemporary rural world. It was adapted for film following a UK tour and had its premiere at the 2023 Vault Festival The Silence & The Noise is now available to stream online until Spring 2024.
It is a two-hander, telling the story of Ben and Daize, two teens living in rural England. When we first meet them, local girl Daize is the antagonist, threatening and then teasing Londoner Ben, who seems very defensive, ill at ease and out of place. But as the action unfolds, their roles blur and swap and it doesn’t take long to realise that they are both putting on a front, their bravado covering up the deprivation and abuse that is part of their daily life. One has a drug addict for a mother, the other works as a county lines drug runner for her dealer, the dangerous Beatle – he doesn’t appear on screen but the writing is so good that his malevolent presence is clearly felt.
We learn the true story behind Daize’s home life and why white schoolboy Ben always carries his tennis racket. The pair’s language switches between the “urban” style adopted by teens wanting to appear tough and a much more natural delivery as their barriers break down. It feels almost poetic in places. But despite their bravado and slowly developing trust, the tragedy of their lives is never far from the surface. As the adults whose very job it is to protect and nurture them let them down, Daize and Ben learn to lean on each other.
The play adapts very well to screen, set largely around a battered old sofa dumped outside Blaize’s house but with an idyllic rural backdrop which serves to emphasise the ugliness of the reality of their lives. Direction from Rachel Lambert and Elle While manages to create a very natural atmosphere, whilst still retaining an air of theatricality.
The casting is spot on. As Daize, Rachelle Diedericks has a heartbreaking vulnerability, and while her delivery is excellent, she manages to convey Daize’s story even better when she is silent, through simple gestures and expressions. Playing Ben, William Robinson is equally convincing, showing a sad acceptance of his life, and perfectly showing his inner conflict of emotions, does he love or hate the man who has brought him to this?
This short film has deservedly already been nominated for awards at the Canterbury and Broadstairs International Film Festivals. It looks at the stark reality for young people affected by the dangerous world of county lines networks without the characters becoming stereotypes. They feel real, you care about them. Although the reality for kids caught up in this world is horrific, it feels fitting that in this dramatisation, we are left with some hope for this relatable and resilient pair.
★ ★ ★ ★
