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Review: The Return @ Push Festival, HOME

  • Kicking off the Push Festival, The Return tells the tale of a forbidden love
  • Northern Quota reporter Jess Stoddard reviews the new piece of theatre created by Square Peg Theatre

Inspired by both Stephen King and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the audience saw an abridged version of act one. 

The Return is the story of a town torn apart by faith, superstition and modernity. When a fisherman disappears, a small community is forced to confront the prospect that there is something more beyond the horizon.

With a clever use of soundscape , from brushing pebbles to imitate walking on the stoney beaches to a chopping board and knife as the house wife cuts the carrots for dinner, the music is the most impressive part of this piece.

Ensemble movement creates a small community feel for the town, and the repetitive movements suggests the normality and functionality of the community.

A forbidden love story told in a quaint and simplistic way, in this abridged version you see the couple’s troubles and worries as they try and hold together.

The simple all black costumes allow the performers to change character quickly, and with no props or set being used on stage made the emphasis on the physical theatre aspect and sounds to create the scene.

A piece of theatre that brings all elements of performance together, in a creative, simplistic and stylised way.

The Return is part of the PUSH festival, running until Janruary 27 at HOME.