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Michael Cox reviews an honourable production.
Blackout is not an easy watch—nor is it meant to be. Five alcoholics are in a recovery meeting and speak about their experiences. We are told everything: the first time they saw someone drunk, when and why they began drinking, the first time they were drunk and what has happened since then.
It’s simply staged. The five actors move about a bare stage with only lighting changes and voiceovers in blackout to denote shifts in time or topic. No complicated staging or integrate design concepts here.
And it’s compelling stuff, told in an honourable way.
It’s also a bit removed, from an emotional point of view. This is certainly not a complaint—forced empathy would ring false—but what we have are insightful statements from five individuals. It’s compelling stuff told in an alienating way.
Blackout performs at Summerhall at 4.20pm until August 26th. It is part of this year’s Made in Scotland programme.
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