REVIEW: Gaslight at Etcetera Theatre / Camden Fringe 17 - 20 Aug 2023

‘You will still be thinking about it long after you leave’ ★★★

Whenever you see that a production has a blood technician then it’s very likely that what you’re going to see is going to fall on the darker side of entertainment. Gaslight is no exception. The play tackles the difficult topic of sexual assault and the impact it has on the victims by using some effective surrealism involving physical wounds to replace the consequential trauma.

The story follows university student Scarlet, played by writer and producer Shaira Berg, who blacks out at a party and wakes with a mysterious wound. Neither her boyfriend nor group of friends seem overly concerned despite the mental anguish she is clearly facing. She also makes some unwelcome discoveries about the relationships she has with those closest to her which only contribute to her suffering.

Gaslight’s inventive use of the physical wound as a metaphor for sexual assault allows it to successfully portray both the attack and it’s fallout in a way that guarantees that it is always at the forefront of the audience’s minds. It cleverly serves as a constant reminder that, even with time, Scarlet’s affliction doesn’t just disappear. This original concept ensures that you will still be thinking about it long after you leave.

Berg’s portrayal of Scarlet purposefully captures the emotion of the character and the anguish she is feeling. She manages to channel not only the pain but also the anger of each situation and you can clearly see the deterioration of Scarlet’s well-being as the play moves forward.

The other main parts of Tate, Scarlet’s boyfriend, and Angela, her best friend, are admirably played by George Prentice and Sarah Walton-Smith (with the latter also co-producing). Prentice flourishes in the villain role, offering up both the charismatic and manipulative sides of alpha male Tate, the combination of which make him so unnerving. Walton-Smith, meanwhile, has a very natural stage presence which helps her to find the right balance for Angela, the most conflicted character of the piece.

As her debut script, Berg should be credited for writing something which is both meaningful and relatable. The dialogue is genuine and the pauses she applies provide some great tension. However, her main character could perhaps have stronger intentions. Scarlet is rather passive and does little to drive the plot forward herself, becoming almost a prop that the others skirt around.

Scarlet also spends most of the play in an understandably distressed state which means there is less opportunity to explore the subtle impacts of what has occurred. By all accounts she ‘wears her heart on her sleeve’ but we rarely get to see Scarlet when she is not showcasing emotional stress and the play slightly suffers from not allowing that intensity to ease off at times.

Director Arianna Munoz does an excellent job of creating the world in which these students live. She offers up some memorable scenes, including a party scene where you really do feel like you’re in a nightclub, a commendable effort given the space offered to her. Her transitions could have been slightly more fluid but, as sound designer, she still manages to drive the tension up during these with some discomforting audio.

Gaslight deals with an uncomfortable topic head-on and its goal of highlighting some key messages are certainly met. And although some characters could have been stronger, the young cast work well together to give an energetic performance in a play which will be remembered for its innovative approach to such a delicate and important subject matter.

Gaslight at Etcetera Theatre 17-20 Aug

Writer and Co-Producer: Shaira Berg

Director: Arianna Munoz

Co-Producer: Sarah Walton-Smith

Assistant Director: Keziah Prescod

Twitter: @GaslightLondon

Reviewer: John Montgomery