REVIEW: 113 by Ethan H.M.M. at ETCETERA 5 – 8 October 2025
“113's strongest moments revolve around connection and intimacy.”★★★
‘The only way to get out of here is to remember who you are.’
That's the premise of 113: a dystopian chamber piece about two people stripped of their names, their memories, their sense of self. They're separated by a wall and call each other by the numbers on their jumpsuits. 49 (Isobel Glover) has been there long enough to know the drill. 64 (George Loynes) is new and disoriented. As they join forces to piece together their pasts, a guard, a vision and (supposed) friends (all played by Sali Adams) pop in and out to torment them.
Versions of ‘protagonists trapped in a liminal space’ have been done many times before, from Sartre's No Exit to a string of Black Mirror episodes. It's a set-up frequently used to explore philosophical concepts, and 113 is no exception. This is a play bursting with ideas, delivered in rapid-fire dialogue. The result is engaging, but not all introduced themes pay off equally.
Although the search for memory is at the centre of the plot, 113's strongest moments revolve around connection and intimacy. For two performers who never see each other, each stranded on their side of the wall, Glover and Loynes do an excellent job of building (and testing) their relationship. ‘49, do you hate me?’ 64 asks at one point—and it's a testament to the show how tense the atmosphere has become.
Selling a high-concept world like this requires a certain amount of neatness, of slickness. Here 113 falters. The issue isn't budget—the simple division of the space works well—but attention to detail. Clothes removed for cleaning come back as dirty as they left. The guard entering the cells cuts easily behind the wall and rustles the curtains. The soundscaping—ominous church choirs, mostly—is played too quietly to have much of an impact. Simple changes would ramp up the effectiveness.
Like any dystopian mystery, 113 has to eventually reveal what the hell was going on. It mostly sticks the landing: its central point is effective, although the solution leaves some sequences unexplained. The strongest impact comes from the question of what all this means for 49 and 64's relationship—and the bittersweet taste the ending leaves is earned.
Cast
49: Isobel Glover
64: George Loynes
J. Doe: Sali Adams
Creative Team
Writer: Ethan H.M.M.
Director: Rio Rose Joubert
Producer: Emma McKeown
Lighting Designer: Matty Arakcheev
Welfare Officer: Victoria Taylor
Stage Manager: Alex Klimczyk
