Review: Are You Watching? (Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Royal Court)

Review by Seth Wilby

⭐⭐⭐

Violent pornography, AI sexual abuse imagery, sexual violence, bodily harm. The list of content warnings for Are You Watching? goes on and on. It’s not an easy watch. And amongst the tiny confines of the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, it’s all exposed, in an unflinching and inescapable manner. Yet, faced with all these themes in a single, condensed hour, would the play have enough control to keep you watching?

Continuing their role as the home of new writing, the Royal Court hosts the debut play of playwright Georgie Dettner in an intense, sixty-five-minute rollercoaster. With less of one coherent plotline, we instead see snapshots of several storylines- from a grieving mother to experimental arousal, an unusual eighteenth birthday to a disturbingly deepfaked celebrity. Distinct in narrative, all have similarly uncomfortable undertones, and are linked by one simple question of society- who’s complicit, and who’s in control?

Unfortunately, though, this unusual structure ends up as the play’s biggest flaw. Each storyline is fascinatingly thought-provoking on its own- watching this grieving mother exploited to gain internet traction is a stunningly subtle piece of social commentary, for example, even managing to expand into hints of political ideologies. However, splicing all these scenes together in such a ragtag manner means none of them are given the breathing room they deserve. Even writing this review now, I’m realising so many brilliant tonal undertones that just weren’t made clear enough in the moment. You feel like an observer of fiction, never provided with sufficient connection, and that’s what stops this interesting watch from becoming a thought-provoking powerhouse.

Still, though, you do become intrigued, if not fully invested, by these storylines enough to want them to have a bigger payoff. The ending of a play is always so difficult to get right, and when you have so many stories to end, it’s going to be impossible to give them all justice. Each one does reach a form of emotional climax, delivering short moments of intense rage or passion, but since these do not occur concurrently, the production struggles to maintain these feelings. I needed to be shocked, I should’ve been left lost for words, I could even have been brought to tears. Instead, though, I approved of it as a competent piece of art, while, emotionally, something was left feeling incomplete.

Probably the most fascinating structural choice is that of two teenage girls at a sleepover, recounting traumatic stories that blur between fiction and reality. Spending the whole play observing from two bunk beds, and occasionally interjecting the flow with another anecdote, their purpose is, in every way, overstated by the narrative. While they do provide some societal commentary, it’s nothing more impressive than in any of our other stories, and definitely does not deserve their extended stage time. Their ending monologue is visually powerful, but not verbally stirring, despite very strong performances from Kosar Ali and Abby McCann. The writing provides them with such overemphasis that we feel they should be more significant, and spend the whole time trying to use them to link all our stories together, leaving us disappointed when this does not emerge. 

However, Dettmer does have a good grasp of this structure, despite the unavoidable limitations. It feels pacy and vivacious, and generates a genuine interest in our storylines. As we rapidly bounce between scenes, we find ourselves both hoping to find out what happens next while thoroughly engaged in whatever’s unfolding in front of us. A competent effort, it shows strong potential from a debut playwright, with Dettmer’s writing holding a naturally passionate voice and clearly displaying a lot of thought into what could be said. It’s admirable to see a writer with so much trust in the audience- this play’s themes are very interesting, and, though some are left underexplored (the whole concept of control and complicity a clear example), so much is subtly hinted at to just the right extent to let an audience develop their own opinions, through conversations afterwards or random thoughts that drift into focus the next day.

Jess Edwards’ direction instils the play with an urgent intensity, separating each scene with a vicious red light and piercing beep. Boxed in by Georgia Wilmot’s purposefully tiled set, and illuminated aggressively by Bethany Gupwell’s lighting design, the play flows with a harsh smoothness, crunching through the uncomfortable with no filter. The direction’s main strength, though, is its ability to highlight the spectacularly talented cast.

Taking on many roles throughout, an ensemble of four (plus the aforementioned Ali and McCann observing) seamlessly shift through such a range of performances, convincing you some of them have a secret twin hiding backstage. Through the smallest of changes in body language, stance or costume, we are made to remember exactly what we have followed this character through so far, and understand their personalities instantly. Maimuna Memon is effortlessly magnetic, infusing each of her characters with an undeniable passion and knowing just when to lighten the mood of each performance. Similarly, Billy Bolt personifies each role to the nth degree of understandability, be it the overt arrogance he brings to the communications manager, or the tinge of a sad timidity in his teenage boy.

More deadpan in most of his roles, Nicholas Rowe commands the stage, shifting each performance into something inherently emotive by the end, and bouncing off his fellow castmates perfectly. In probably the most varied of tracks, Lucy McCormick is a terrifying shapeshifter, embodying her characters with a quivering lip and steely stare. As the grieving mother, she is devastating, and, as a celebrity whose leaked images have been used for AI deepfakes, she is woefully emotive. It’s a script that relies on a stellar cast to pull it off, and this cast (assembled by casting director Saffeya Shebli) more than rises to the challenge.

In the moment, Are You Watching? is an engaging play, displaying some good signs from a debut playwright. After the fact, though, it occasionally provokes some thoughts, but doesn’t haunt you in the way it could. Suffering from an overestimation of its own cleverness, none of the many storylines packs enough emotional punch, and too many are left feeling unfinished. However, an intriguing concept, vicious direction and spectacular cast make for a night that deserves to be witnessed, despite its structural shortcomings.

Are You Watching? plays at Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at Royal Court until 4 July. Tickets from https://royalcourttheatre.com/events/are-you-watching/