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The Keepers of Infinite Space

  • Theatre, Drama
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Time Out says

The past is on repeat in Omar El-Khairy’s new play about the prison system in Israeli-occupied Palestine.

It’s a play that tries to do a huge amount: comment on the Middle Eastern political situation; present a complicated family story; appeal to our hearts. But it fails to do any of those things.

In ‘The Keepers of Infinite Space’ Saeed is incarcerated for owning a bookshop and little else. He is held captive, beaten and has his soul broken in an Israeli prison.

The first half mainly features Saeed being viciously tortured by the prison guards. Then, in the short second half, the story kicks in and he begins to discover surprising truths about his upright property-developer father from fellow prisoners.

There are two nice performances from Edmund Kingsley as the innocent but increasingly conflicted Saeed and Hilton McRae as his wise, tired father. But their dialogue doesn’t convince and it’s hard to connect with either.

Philip Lindley’s hulking prison design allows Zoe Lafferty’s direction to maintain tension and pace. But really ‘The Keepers of Infinite Space’ could be a prison drama set anywhere in the world.

The situation in Palestine is incredibly complicated but in El-Khairy’s play it’s bluntly clear who the baddies are. It’s a pity the portrayal of the Israeli guards is so heavy handed Ð John Wark’s character, head of the prison, is calculating and violent with the rest of the guards not much better. If the writing had more nuance, it may have been easier to trust the piece a little more.

By Daisy Bowie-Sell

Details

Event website:
www.parktheatre.co.uk
Address:
Price:
£12-£19.50
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