Words: Libby Taylor
Image: Alex Powell

4 stars

Woodhill leaves no stone unturned with regards to mental health and its failings in supporting young, imprisoned men within the aforementioned institution. The atmosphere is built from the start with pre-set dim lighting and the performers moving methodically around a bare set. The lighting remains a core aspect of setting the scene through the levels continuously changing, creating a sense of unease. The precision of the cast’s movement is so consistent and emotive that it feels like the choreography is not simply moves attached to words/lines, but instead is an entirely new language, physically conveying the sense and emotion of the voiceovers. Repetition is cleverly used to make audience members affiliate mentions of the institution with jarring, jagged activity from the performers, which drives home the horror of the experiences shared and the unnatural setting.

The staging emphasises this sense of a separate, unwelcoming space through the set being almost an isolated island from which we, the audience are separated as observers, rather than being immersed in the world. The set pieces and props add to this stripped back visual, which cleverly goes on to gain a deeper meaning as the show progresses. All these intertwined elements create an impactful show; the only aspect that would make the show even stronger would be to bring some of this minimalism to the script length. The end felt a bit dragged out, introducing the female imprisoned experience in a rushed manner and being almost repetitive in how it covers the family’s experience.

Woodhill
Main House at ZOO Southside
14:25
7-30 Aug (excluding Mondays)