Luke Owen's Unscorched: A Scorching Evening

5/5

Unscorched, by 2013 Papatango New Writing Prize winner Luke Owen, blends awkwardness, uncomfortable humour, and heart-wrenching romance into a visceral snapshot into the lives of those who bring to justice perpetrators of child abuse.

Georgia Lowe’s innovative design sets the action on a runway stage. Sharp geometry using boxes to form key parts of the pornography review office emphasizes the starkness of the profession. Brilliantly, the floor opens to a bed, softening the texture for the love scenes. Lighting by Joshua Carr sets off this design, fluidly changing from harshly symbolic LED lights in the office to a warmer tone in the personal spaces.

Justin Audibert’s direction also takes advantage of this intimate design in the Finborough. Whether awkward, romantic, or horrifying, the tone of scenes flows fluidly as sudden revelations shift the atmosphere. Equally fluid are the scene changes, with actors never breaking character even in the low light, allowing the narrative of the play to continue unbroken.

The relationship between Tom and Emily is the play’s emotional centerpiece. The couple’s charm is irresistible, with Wyld’s Emily the epitome of casual cuteness and Raferty’s Tom just an earnest, kind guy. As Tom’s new career in child pornography prevention invades his psyche, the relationship frays and these same accessible traits that make the relationship so accessible and hopeful excruciate as they fight to stay together.

As the old hand in the office, John Hodgkinson’s Nidge is perennially upbeat. His attempts to cheer his coworkers seem almost tactlessly awkward. From that façade, however, the sinister monotony and weariness of the relentless job seep out, showing that even the most philosophical, optimistic people are susceptible to pain when dealing with humanity’s most corrosive traits.

Richard Atwill, onstage only briefly as Simon, the employee who held Tom’s job before quitting, gives immediate insight into the inner turmoil the job can evoke. George Turvey, as the boss of the unit, Mark, also plays splendidly. He is caring, charismatic, and persuasive, but lacking in empathy and a true understanding of his employee’s travails.

Under brilliant direction in a cleverly designed space, the cast of Luke Owen’s Unscorched plays well, addressing the tough subject of child pornography. The show’s most blistering strength, however, is the chemistry of the three leads, which emphasizes Owen’s insight into how, when faced constantly with the worst of humanity, even daily life can be wrenched apart.