Ashling Findlay-Carroll reviews a moving call to action.
We enter into a dingy, dank and neglected room with stained walls and floor—a single light hanging from a chain and multiple locks and chains on the door.
It is here where Zach is spending his days inside a cardboard box, suffering from PTSD as a result of serving in Iraq.
The relationship between the two performers is dynamic. The dialogue is pacy and fires along as they try to help Zach deal with his trauma by taking ecstasy after seeing info about a clinical trial on CNN. They explore the idea of using substances (in this case illegal ones) to treat people and to help them move through their dark points. The character of Carol, Zach's wife, represents the more general view of society of fear and suspicion, whereas the two ex-servicemen are clearly searching for anything that might help.
The subject matter is dealt with on a human level and we see the struggles of this individual and the impact on his family, but in a way that isn't oppressive or overbearing, and there are comical moments sprinkled throughout. The final moment, where Zach repeats the shows title increasingly, desperately hammers home the real effect of these experiences on individuals and the need for effective treatment. It is both moving and a call to action.
Run at Summerhall ended.
RSS