 and Owen (David Thomas) as they butt heads over an assignment unlike any other.){kind=link}
★★★★✰
Interconnected fictional universes are all the rage right now, with the Marvel behemoth stomping all over box office records. There’s something exciting about the idea of telling stories that feed into a larger world, and it’s the use of that narrative framework that helps the Gutter Street Theatre Company stand out. Each of their plays exists somewhere along the timeline of one fictional universe, and By The Book, written by and co-starring David Thomas, is the fifth in the collection. It tells a depressingly relatable story, one that plunges audiences into the twisted, paranoid and often humorous world of two isolated employees, working for a soulless organisation at the heart of an oppressive society.
The story unfolds over the course of one eventful workday in dystopia, centring around colleagues Alicia (Kathryn Djemai) and Owen (David Thomas) as they butt heads over an assignment unlike any other. Where Alicia is tough, firm and nearly unquestioningly loyal to the organisation employing her, Owen presents more of an amiable, easygoing attitude. They’re common archetypes—the stick-in-the-mud and the jokester—but neither completely fit the mould cast for them. Their frustrations with the company, shared only when the higher-ups aren’t listening, go a long way towards making them feel genuine. After all, don’t we all have a set of arbitrary rules and protocols we begrudgingly follow to appease our employers?
That sense of relatability is smartly reinforced by the moment-to-moment dialogue, which will be familiar to anyone who’s spent a long, tedious shift at a shop or an endless day at the office. It’s full of petty squabbles over who should sweep the floor or fill in the paperwork. Far from being tiresome, the breezy back and forth between the leads creates an absurdly entertaining contrast with the implied nightmare outside, especially following the introduction of a nameless third character (Zoe Moore) who gives the plot the gravity it needs to have an impact.
Given the subject matter, the dialogue is refreshingly human, and it’ll no doubt feel uncomfortably relatable to anyone who’s slaved away for the benefit of a mammoth company. With that said, there are enough jokes to prevent it all from feeling overwhelmingly bleak, even if some feel a little laboured.
Mysteries circulate the play. What’s the wider situation outside of the one-room set? Why are there Cold War, number station-esque transmissions coming from the radio in the corner? What’s with the sacred ‘Book Of Directives’ which dictates the two leads’ every move? The answers are hinted at with references to an Orwellian world outside, but firm details are scarce outside of what can be gleaned from contextual hints and a collection of unnerving sound effects.
The impression is of being sheltered inside during a booming thunderstorm, with leaks just starting to spring from the roof up above. It’s uneasy in the best possible way. Some more firm context regarding the state of the world wouldn’t have gone amiss, but at the very least this stands as a testament to the world-building the play does provide.
The sense of place created by the set, lighting and sound design is an impressive feat too, particularly considering the modesty of the production. There’s not much to look at beyond what’s directly relevant to the plot, but everything that’s there serves and contributes to a larger whole. There are World War Two-style propaganda posters on the walls with slogans like “TOGETHER WE THRIVE” and “FOR THE DIG”. The stage has a peculiar combination of office knick-knacks and objects pulled straight from a wartime bunker. Lighting changes are also used sparingly, which works to great effect in several climactic moments.
Most of all, though, it’s the evocative sound effects and radio transmissions that make the stage feel lived-in. Garbled voices, footsteps and rumblings from the outside invite the mind to build a far larger, more elaborate world than any set designer could hope to match. Sound design does some heavy lifting here, and it does it superbly.
By The Book asks what it would be like to work at the basement level of a shadowy, all-powerful organisation. The answer? Intriguing, slightly bleak and a surprising amount of fun. Coincidently, that’s exactly what it’s like to be in the audience too. If you get the chance, check this play out. And if you’re ever able to delve into the twisted and mysterious world of Gutter Street, you should jump at the chance.
Words by Jamie Davies
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