A closing date which has come too soon. Frantic Assembly, a theatre company formed in 1994, could not have created something more touching and captivating than ‘The Believers’. Having only previously seen their work on You Tube, I made sure I caught the show on the last night where I watched a story of loss and faith unravel before me.
The play revolves around two couples and their contrasting beliefs. Set during one evenings events, the exploration of faith and the dangers of having a closed mind quickly become the strong and obvious main themes. Known for their physical theatre, Frantic Assembly deliver a play which is makes you question your belief in belief while using mind-blowing physical theatre to develop the uneasiness of each character. Eileen Walsh (Marianne), Richard Mylan (Ollie), Christopher Colquhoun (Joff) and Penny Layden (Maud) create the incredible cast of four and give convincing performances of these challenging and frenetic characters.
Not only was the acting stunning but the design was imaginative, useful and visually interesting. Jon Bausor (who also designed the 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony) created a minimalistic 3D set which allowed the audience to understand each setting and reflected how each relationship changed. At a few points actors were even hung on harnesses so the audience gained the feeling they were watching the action from a bird's eye view. A simple wooden frame was moved effortlessly round the stage by the actors to create different rooms and a frame of stairs gave the perception of different levels or could even have represented a climb to faith. The lighting (designed by Andy Purves) added intensity to the whole show, adding to the frantic nature of the characters and forcing the uneasy feeling of the characters onto the audience. The moments of pitch black in contrast to the sudden bright lights echoed each part of the play while also transitioning into each scene, meaning the actors would be in completely different positions each time. For me, candles were used as a sign of hope and a religious symbol of coming out of the darkness as each of the characters begun to believe in their lives and children. Again, the sound design excelled beyond its normal uses and gave an unsettling feeling of unknowing, leaving the audience in silence at the climax of the play which overwhelmed you as you watch the most tender and heartbreaking moments.
Every exceptional element appeared to come together to make this a thought-provoking, mesmerising and astounding piece of theatre. I salute Scott Graham and Eddie Kay as they have created relationships which we warm to and an absorbing piece of theatre. Keep a look out for other Frantic Assembly productions because this deserved to be running a lot longer than just one tour and I am sure their next production will be just as astonishing.
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