Sanctuary, The Hope Theatre Review
Sanctuary production image. Photo by Christine Rose
Written by Becky A for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Disclaimer - The Show contains themes of sexual assault, terrorism, mental health, language and political violence.
When safety is an illusion, where do you run?
This week I entered a world teetering on the edge. Sanctuary, written by Christine Rose, tells the story of two women trapped in a basement as political violence erupts outside. This is a powerful production which gives audiences a chance to contemplate the real perils of a strong political society and the sheer ignorance surrounding it from certain individuals.
Set in Portland, Oregon, this near-future dystopian thriller takes place in February 2025, weeks after the presidential inauguration (sound eerily familiar anyone?). The play is inspired by true events during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests when downtown became a battleground.
Laura Shipler Chico plays Cassie, a disillusioned liberal, who sees rising fascism and male violence as inescapable. Chico plays her role with such realism and has a really captivating presence on stage. As her counterpart Andrea Milton-Furlotti plays Amelia, a conservative woman of faith who denies the severity of the situation, clinging to the hope that it will soon pass.
Both actors had the pressure of it just being them on stage, but they embodied their character’s internal conflict brilliantly. From those complicit in the system to those desperately seeking truth. They were both brilliantly portrayed as two women caught in the conflicts of political violence, each of them responding differently. It was a commendable effort of both parties. Their collective energy and commitment to portraying the dangers of power and manipulation really made the audience feel the urgency of questioning how safe we all are from authority.
The director Donna King and writer Christine Rose were successful in illuminating the continued ignorance surrounding key social issues. By crafting nuanced, multifaceted characters and staging scenes that confronted uncomfortable truths, the director guided the audience through a world where apathy and misinformation ran rampant.
I loved the set for this production. The design was minimalist but effective and managed to immerse the audience enough to bring us into the world of our characters by using colour, props and plenty of space. The sound design used an array of exterior noises on a track to mimic actual riots happening outside Cassie’s basement. They were very effective and even caused reaction from the audience at points.
Through the roughly 60 minute runtime, Sanctuary explores the powers of friendship, the will of survival and how today’s world has changed, whether that be for the better or worse. It’s a gripping and thought-provoking concept.
The foundation of the first half was the most effective. Learning through dialogue the past of these two friends. I almost wish the second half was just that little bit longer so we could maybe explore more of what could happen to our two lead protagonists after the events of the play.
Plays such as Sanctuary are so important because they force audiences to confront the real-world consequences of unchecked power and mass manipulation, which in reality a lot of the world is facing right now. It encourages reflection on how these issues affect and shape our lives without shying away from controversial topics. Sanctuary leaves no easy answers but raises questions that will linger long after the curtain falls.
at The Hope Theatre until 30th November.
★★★★
