Jenna Fincken’s one-woman play draws the audience into the world of a woman trapped in an abusive relationship. Inspired by true stories, this sixty-five-minute play walks us through the relationship between Lou and Ryan, from beginning to bitter end.
Fincken drives through the play with a powerful intensity, as Tingying Dong’s eery sound design envelops us further into her world. Upon meeting Ryan, Lou is shown to be a strong-willed character with a sharp tongue. Ryan is described as ‘disgustingly nice’, as his charm at the beginning of the play is highlighted.
The pair soon move to an isolated country house by the sea, which is where the relationship takes a turn. Ryan begins to track Lou’s whereabouts, starts hiding her phone and urging her to cut contact with friends. Throughout the play, a countdown appears projected on the wall, getting closer to what we can only assume must be the end of the relationship.
Ruckus is an important story that is expertly told and brings true awareness that these unfortunate events could happen to anyone.
Ruckus is performing at the Southwark Playhouse until 29 October.