Review: Darkling (Bush Theatre / UK Tour)
Review by Ruth Sealey
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Shows based on true events always appeal to me, especially when they give unheard voices a platform to tell their own story. That was part of what drew me to Bush Theatre for the premiere of Darkling, exploring the impact of a human and environmental disaster in Bhopal, India, in 1984. In the middle of the night, while mothers, fathers and children sleep in their homes, a huge leak of methyl isocyanate gas pours out from the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant. Hundreds of thousands of people are exposed to the deadly gas, thousands die in the immediate aftermath, and many more suffer long-term health impacts. The disaster made headline news around the world at the time, but can Darkling find a way to tell the individual stories of those who were affected and give their voices a chance to be heard?
Darkling tells the story of an unnamed girl living in poverty with her father and sister in Bhopal. We meet ‘She’ full of excitement and youthful wonder as she plays in the streets, befriends a local cat and trudges through the brown earth and sludge she calls home. She has ambition and desire, and her commentary on what she sees around her anchors her as the narrator of her own story. The “metal giant” of the factory looms over the city and becomes an increasingly ominous presence in her life as she grows up and faces the prospect of a marriage and a life that she longs to escape. As the factory grows, the impact of the disaster is laid bare, and with it the realisation that this night will resonate for generations to come.
Titas Halder’s text is poetic and feels at times like a song to the people of Bhopal, their lives and loves, and at times looming over us, oppressive and full of grief. Halder does find moments of humour, drawing laughter from the audience as ‘She’ is a young girl full of hope, before switching to the darkest moments of grief as her story runs its course. Halder ensures that the people of Bhopal are more than just victims of that night, not ending with the gas leak but moving beyond this and the horrors of what comes next. Threads cleverly run through the play with ‘breathing’ mentioned repeatedly; the irony of the very thing keeping you alive also being the thing that will kill you. There are occasional moments when parts of the production do feel overly long, with some sections drawn out and subjects repeated more than is really necessary to achieve the desired impact; however, there is no doubting the power of Halder’s writing, which gives ‘She’ a distinctive voice and ensures that her story stays in our memories.
Matthew Xia’s direction explores the horror of that night and takes the audience on an emotional journey, capturing ‘She’s’ innocence and simple life in a gentle opening as she gleefully rushes around the stage, making the ending all the more painful to observe. At times, making full use of the four sides limits the impact, as some dialogue is lost when ‘She’ runs around the stage with her back to parts of the audience. The pacing captures the passing of time well, and the growing threat of the factory is genuinely terrifying as the audience knows what is coming next, but she does not. As the gas escapes and ‘She’ runs in terror, tendrils of gas writhe and wind from the stage towards the audience. This scene is horrifyingly played out and is an impressive feat for Xia to achieve, making the audience believe that there are screaming crowds, with only one actor on stage. Xia certainly has a talented team around him and exceptional writing to work with, but his vision for this, realised through his stunning direction, builds a picture that seems to be burned into my memory.
Linnea Berthelsen is captivating as ‘She’, bringing breathless delight to her youthful nature at the start of the play. Despite no costume or make-up changes, she is completely believable as she transforms throughout the journey from girl to adult. Berthelsen plays multiple characters, and the most affecting is the boy she falls in love with: cricket-loving, awkward and with genuine affection for each other. However, not all of Berthelsen’s characters are so easy to differentiate, and they occasionally merge into one another and require more clarity to increase their impact on the story. Even when the play loses momentum, Berthelsen finds a way to reignite it, raging at the system that allowed this disaster to happen and confronting the audience with its consequences. It is exhausting to watch, and she commands the space and demands that we listen, and the audience does just that. As she reaches the end of her story, the raw power of Berthelsen’s performance feels deeply affecting.
The design elements breathe life into Darkling, with striking moments where set, sound and lighting work together seamlessly. Simon Kenny’s set appears simple, but its versatility is its greatest strength. A raised platform, surrounded by a barrier of earth, becomes a home, a street and the balcony of a block of flats. Hidden within it are a well and a fire, constructed and removed with precision, while the backdrop reveals the menacing skeleton of the factory. Beth Duke’s sound is equally detailed, with subtle sounds of birds, trickling water and sheets flapping on the washing line helping create a vivid sense of place. Combined with the haunting melodies of composer Niraj Chag, these elements create an evocative soundscape. Rajiv Pattani’s lighting lifts this production to another level, and it follows the story in mesmerising detail. It is almost as if the lighting breathes with the story, a living entity in its own right, reflecting the mood on stage. As ‘She’ moves from the flat to the roof, the transitions are perfectly timed with Duke’s sound and the movement on stage. Pattani captures the glare of the Indian sun, dusk blending day into night and a stunning sequence where the lighting evokes the movement of a train. The emotion captured through the design elements of this production is simply incredible.
Darkling is certainly an experience and one that left a weight on my shoulders as I left the theatre, and I felt the need to breathe and compose myself after what was an incredibly emotional production. I am sure that Darkling could divide opinion: it is not an easy watch and is graphic in its portrayal of the aftermath of the disaster. The fact that such an event ever occurred is deeply disturbing, and it can only be a good thing that we are still talking about it now. Events like this should not be forgotten or glossed over – those living in poverty are often the ones who suffer most from decisions made by those with greater power, with the consequences felt for generations. Darkling poses challenging and uncomfortable questions, but if we keep stories of the past alive, perhaps it can also encourage us to confront our mistakes, learn from them and ensure they are not repeated.
Darkling plays at Bush Theatre until 24th October. Tickets from https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/darkling/
It then tours at Birmingham Rep - 30 October – 31 October
The North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford - 3 – 4 November
HOME, Manchester - 11 – 14 November
Photos by Alex Brenner