‘BU21’ by Stuart Slade and directed by Dan Pick, is an eye-opening and brave piece of theatre that has transferred to Trafalgar Studios, following a successful run at Theatre503.
Set in the not-so distant future, ‘BU21’ tells the story of a group of survivors after a terrorist attack in central London. At first the stories seem isolated, monologues with no interaction between characters. Slowly they fuse together as the play progresses; much like the characters, who feel alone in the immediate aftermath, but start to find comfort and strength in others who have shared a similar experience.
From the outset the tales are harrowing, and sometimes uncomfortable, but also strangely captivating. As well as the central plot, the play also picks up on some modern-day themes including racism, xenophobia and class distinction, that could easily be lifted in to any state of the nation play.
There’s a line in ‘BU21’ about finding laughter in the tragedy and this is something that is done very well. The stories are tragic, but balanced really nicely with an element of comedy, specifically from Florence Roberts, playing ‘Floss’ and Alex Forsyth, playing Alex.
The latter plays a thoroughly dislikeable character, who is shockingly funny and almost becomes a pseudo-hero of the production. Clive Keene, as Clive, gives a wonderful performance, leading the audience on a merry dance of misdirection.
Aside from the heart-breaking candour, ‘BU21’ is a masterclass in plot and character development, which has been staged very effectively within Trafalgar Studios. It also poses a significant question; “when your life inevitably turns to shit, how will you cope?” I’m not sure what my answer would be, but the dust strewn Mickey Mouse, half buried in rubble at the back of the stage may just haunt me for several weeks to come.
