5/11 Review: An Explosive Commentary on the Nature of Rebellion
Photo by Erin Tan
Edward Kemp’s 5/11 follows one of the most delicate monarchical successions in English history and the consequences of it. Elizabeth I’s death is prevalent from the beginning of the show; her death and the crown's authority loom over much of the first act with her deathbed set to the back of the stage, later to be replaced by the throne of James I and then barrels of gunpowder. She dies but the pendulum does not swing for the English Catholics, spurring on one Robert Catesby to conceive of the most infamous assassination attempt in English history - the Gunpowder Plot. The satirical tone of the play makes for a surprisingly funny account of an attempted murder.
Despite being a historic drama, it certainly does not look like it. Evie Chandler’s punk influences give the play flair. Themes of rebellion and violence are fundamental to punk subculture and cleverly reflect the brash nature of the plotters. The sentiment of rebellion rings through history due to this choice and fabulously joins the early modern plotters to the 80s to make the events feel fresh and contemporary. With modern concerns over restriction of free speech and protest hanging in the air, the play deftly confronts the reality of being a rebel and what it means to defend your beliefs and rights on both sides.
Working with Freya Cowan and Lucy Wright, the costuming is arguably the strongest part of the show. Nods to Vivienne Westwood’s love of tartan and the influence of her designs on punk culture are clear in the outfits of the Scotts. The Britannia dress is also wonderful; it raises questions of nation building and foundation myths whilst framing them within the costuming inspired by the usage of the Union Jack in punk culture.
However the punk theme is also where this play falters most - the sound. Iconic punk tunes were chosen to emphasise moments of defiance which could have been used to great effect. But the audience, instead of focusing on an explosive commentary on the nature of rebellion both visually and audibly, were distracted by technical faults. Coming in too late and sound levels not being quite on the money made the play feel unsure of itself and not completely committed to its own ideas. But, it must be said that this was opening night and these are simple, but important, fixes that are likely to be ironed out as is often the case with student productions.
The Gunpowder Plot infamously had 14 conspirators, which naturally translates into 14 actors. That’s already a fairly sizeable cast without yet considering the plotters' opposition. However, forgiveness must be in order. History is full of people. All of these political actors were important to the moment but it was often hard to keep track of who was who. The Lord William Parker 4th Baron of Monteagle was referred to not only by all of these names (in various combinations) but also by the nickname ‘Monty’. Catesby was also dubbed ‘Cate’. Those unfamiliar with the period may struggle to follow. A cast of 22 (23 if you count the Dodo) on what is already a small stage at the ADC Theatre should have felt cramped. Yet there were moments the stage felt remarkably empty despite the ensemble. Scenes where there ought to have been outpourings of riotous anger felt restrained almost in effort not step on each other’s toes.
This stands in stark contrast to Joe Orrell’s performance as James I. A proud king sure of his will, his rights and himself, he filled the stage with joviality and anger until it gave way to a paranoid man who feared for his life. Truly a feat to create more pity for a king than for the plotters faced with the inevitability of their deaths. His Scottish accent is similarly impressive. Likewise Sam Thompson’s Robert Cecil captures a man who not only hates most around him but is doomed by his intelligence and knowledge to hate himself. Cecil’s consistent presence throughout the first half, constantly watching, enforces his role of spy master. His omnipresence (and therefore omniscience) is a strong directorial choice which creates a sense of inevitability and futility in the struggles of the plotters. Amongst what were a large number of ‘big’ performances, Eanna Ferguson’s subtlety was refreshing. It was a shame that her moment of penance and guilt through self-flagellation was minimised by the lighting and staging. There were so many other things on stage that this crucial moment for her character was lost.
In the current climate, this play does offer poignant questions - how far is too far to defend yourself? What is acceptable in rebellion? Correspondingly, what is acceptable in the name of peace for the majority? 5/11 tries to answer these in relation to the forming identity of a state against the rage and freedom of the individual and, to me, succeeds.
5/11 is on at ADC Theatre until 11th of November.