Review: Sunland (Bitesize Festival/Riverside Studios)

Review by Sam Waite

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If the planet was soon to be destroyed, and those deemed most worthy of saving jettisoned to preserve the future of mankind… what would become of those left? In Sunland, Madeline Whitby’s one-hour one-act as part of Riverside Studios’ Bitesie Festival, we are given a glimpse of what horrors (and what potential joys) may await those deemed unworthy of safety.

Sunland finds four members of Gen Z gathered in a Thai resort. The food is, for the moment, plentiful, the evacuations and jettisoned spacecraft have left plenty of options for where to sleep, and tensions are running understandably high as an asteroid hurtles Earthward, boasting a 99.4% chance of impact. While new friendships have formed within the lonely troupe, so to have old ones begun to fracture, owing to a mercy killing performed by Bo as Charlie found herself unable.

Lily Walker’s Charlie sees no reason to hide her rage, at those around her, the circumstances of their lives, even at herself. The performance is a tricky one, having to go all out from the first moments while still finding layers to the character, but Walker manages the appropriate nuance. As Yael, one of the two newcomers, Rebecca Goddard brings immense likability to the role, helping us to understand just how tragic the circumstances of a life lived for seemingly no purpose truly is.

With our attentions so firmly turned towards these characters, it’s unfortunately easy to overlook Isaiah James-Mitchell’s work as a composer, but impossible to disregard the acting ability on display. Bringing a deep anguish and buried frustrations to timid Bo’s sweet, nervous demeanour, James-Mitchell is the emotional heart of the piece. Rounding out the company as both producer and performer is Gigi Downey, who brings a deceptively strong performance to the table as Fran, whose initially non-descript persona gives way to a truly thrilling and totally mesmerising performance of secrets coming to light and true emotional bonds being formed.

Director Madison Cole has tuned this quartet of performances nicely, and makes the intelligent and chilling choice to have the body from the mercy-killing opening scene ever-present. Represented by a sack of grains, covered with a sheet representing the Thai beach, the “body” is firmly placed at the back of the action, always present in whatever these characters do. With Whitby having crafted a remarkably human set of characters within the limits of this short-form festival, the power behind this choice cannot be overstated. Neither could I scour from my mind the sound (provided by ATD's own Dan Sinclair’s sound design) of that near-dead woman found on the beach, as Bo was forced to literally squeeze the life from her.

It's aching, it’s powerful, and it’s something I could merrily have watched more of. Admittedly, I found myself let down with the final moments, where Whitby’s skill as a writer didn’t falter but the choices made moved away from my narrative preferences, but that is a minor complaint about a work which seems poised for a grander, even more exciting future.

Sunland plays its final performance as part of Riverside Studios’ Bitesize Festival on July 20th

For tickets and information visit https://riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/sunland-176941/

For tickets and information about Bitesize Festival visit https://riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/bitesize-festival-176991/