Review: Shook and Octopus double bill, The Wardrobe Theatre – ‘A striking showcase for Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s talent’

Shook

The first in a double bill running as part of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s summer festival is Samuel Bailey’s Shook.

It’s a gritty, captivating insight into the stories of three young offenders, each grappling with intense emotions and complex personal histories. While this volatile play is comedic and endearing, it also delves deep into the obstacles and injustice within the penal system.

Cain (Ché Tligui) is a Scouse blabbermouth who doesn’t care about anything, la. Alongside him is the quick-witted and assertive Riyad (Jesse Cescatti-McFarlane), who has been swept up by conflict ‘on the road’. The third, Jonjo, is reticent and withdrawn, making him an easy target for Cain and Riyad’s swaggering assertions of dominance.

This unlikely trio are taught lessons in Parenting 101 by Grace (Molly Hanly), a well-meaning teacher who does her best to correct their misguided concepts of fatherhood. All three are emotionally unpredictable, with intense feelings bubbling beneath their tough exteriors – and the tension is quick to reach boiling point.

Shook offers an exploration of fatherhood and masculinity that is both poignant and unsettling. There are moments of incredible vulnerability as emotional barriers are brought down. These raw, honest moments are hard to watch at times, but they are what make the play so compelling.

The three ‘young offenders’ deliver powerful performances, capturing the complexities of their roles.

Together, they give a striking portrayal of youth, masculinity, and the search for redemption, delivered with unflinching honesty and emotional intensity.

Octopus

The second performance, Octopus, offers a contrasting sense of feminine energy. Set in an immigration centre, the play centres on Sara, Sarah and Scheherazade, three women from different backgrounds who are grappling with issues of identity, perception and government policy.

As the three women cling to certain aspects of their identity, and downplay others, they present conflicting assumptions and understandings of what it means to be British.

Octopus pulls back the curtain on the reality behind British laws on immigration. The play reveals the obstructive technicalities of British citizenship, presenting a web of convoluted questions and legal jargon that confuses and infuriates the three women.

The play flips between two settings – the clinical, claustrophobic atmosphere of the interviewing room, and their playful exchanges in the waiting room.

During their interviews, the women are all confined to predefined categories. This is contrasted by their interactions with each other in the waiting room, where they can freely express themselves, revealing the disparity between their personal identities and legal classifications.

The defiant, feminine spirit of the protagonists is accentuated by a soundtrack of 90s pop and riot grrl punk. Octopus is an affecting display of an oppressive system, underscored by female rebellion.

Shook by Samuel Bailey and Octopus by Afsaneh Gray are at The Wardrobe Theatre on June 13-16 at 6pm and 8pm respectively; tickets are discounted for a same day double bill.

The shows are running as part of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School summer festival 2024, which continues with a final double bill on June 20-22: Hymns by Chris O’Connell and Some People Talk About Violence by Lulu Raczka.

For more information about the festival and tickets to all remaining shows, follow @bovtsbristol or visit www.thewardrobetheatre.com.

All photos: Craig Fuller

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