Slaughterhouse-Five is a time-corrupting story that balances humour with the trauma of war. This production, adapted by Eric Simonson, is based on Kurt Vonnegut's science-fiction novel, which is considered one of the most banned and challenged novels of all time.
We follow soldier Billy Pilgrim (Patrick McAndrew) simultaneously through all the phases of his life. We watch his time as a Prisoner of War, the firebombing of Dresden, and being in a zoo exhibit on the alien planet of Tralfamadore. Pilgrim's ‘unstuck in time' existence does take a while to get used to, as we shift constantly back and forth through significant parts of his life.
The three other actors, Alex Crook, Ethan Reid, and Sofia Engstrand, play multiple characters. I was a bit worried beforehand that it would get confusing, but the actors were brilliant in adapting their voices and expressions, even their movements, to fit the different roles. I felt I could easily tell who they were. The story was fragmented, but compared to other plays I've seen that shift back and forth in time, Slaughterhouse-Five used videography cleverly to keep the audience following along.
The screen at the back of the stage would show the year and location when there was a time shift, and would include graphics of war, or the scenery of the spaceship, for example. This not only helped keep track of what was going on but also brought these scenes to life, especially as the set itself was minimal in its stage size and prop use. The effects of lighting (Laurel Mark) and the sound effects, too, of gunshots, shouting, and transport (Calum Perrin) were very well-crafted.
Despite the original story being nearly 60 years old now, the themes in this production remain very much relevant today, where war is still taking place around the world. Slaughterhouse-Five has a strong message of finding joy in the small moments in life, despite the horrible things that occur around us. Director and video designer Douglas Baker also incorporates humour in the expressions, dialogue, and videos, at just the right amount to lighten the atmosphere and get a few chuckles from the audience.
Overall, while it is certainly a unique and strange production, Slaughterhouse-Five is very much worth a watch. It's a fascinating use of videography and fragmented narrative, loops ideas of memories and fantasies of a war veteran, and it's unlike anything I've seen before on the stage.
Slaughterhouse-Five is playing at Southwark Playhouse, Borough, until 4th July.
Review: Cara-Louise Scott-Lapish Photo: Henry Hu