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Triad Pictures presents:
Lifted ★★★★★
By Sara Shaarawi and
Henry Bell
Edinburgh TheSpace@SurgeonsHall
(venue 53 of
Edinburgh Fringe)
Until Saturday 27th August 2016
Two
men are in jail. Lifted is well-crafted story which follows the journey of one
of those two men as he is interrogated by the police. A really strong performance leads us through a
journey of university life, racism, immigration, detention and mermaids the
tale is a heady mix. He doesn’t know why he has been held and he tries to
co-operate.
The
initial line of questioning is about the other man. How do they know each
other? What is the nature of their relationship?
In
fact they had met during Freshers Week at St Andrews University. One was an English
student from Kuwait, the other a
native-Scottish drug dealer trying to solicit business from the new arrivals to
the area. Obviously the drug dealer isn’t keen to reveal to the police the real
nature of the business. What he does know is that these men in blue are wearing
combat pants and don’t appear to be local. He blames The Wire for their aggressive demeanour.
This
single-handed show flicks between the police interview and in the inner
thoughts of the man in custody through the lighting design. During the
interview he is in the bright spotlight – just like a Gestapo Interrogation in
a WW2 movie. Actor Ikram Gilani is wide eyed and often leaning forward during
these moments. When the action moves to the narrative, with the inmate’s inner
thoughts and background explanations, the whole stage is lit up. His thoughts, as the interview progresses,
reveals how he is trying to guess why he is being detained. The story reveals
the frequent racism that had been experienced, as a schoolboy and as a young
adult.
The
show is physical, at times disturbing and at other points mesmerizing. Ikram is
a wonderful storyteller and the packed venue were drawn into his world.
Assumptions are examined. Principles are questioned. It is a powerful piece of
new writing, delivered with skill. Well worth getting up for!
This
review was written by Stephen Oliver the North East Theatre
Guide – follow Stephen at panic_c_button
Read
the original NETG preview: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/preview-lifted-at-edinburgh.html
Parental
Guidance: The play deals with drug use, adult issues and has some swearing.
Tickets:
Triad
Pictures presents Lifted at TheSpace @ Surgeons Hall, Nicolson
Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DW, Venue 53
Until 20th
August (Theatre 2) - 11:05am (50 min)
22nd
– 27th August (Theatre 1) - 8:05pm (50 min)
Tickets £6.50
Students £4.00
Book over the
phone from 08 June 2016: 0131 226
0000
In person at
The Fringe Box Office - 180 High Street, EH1 1QS or The University of Edinburgh
Visitor Centre, 2 Charles Street, EH8 9AD. (Card sales only)
Tickets can
be booked online at https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/lifted
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