The Reckoning | Arcola Theatre

“Why don’t you start with when the war began for you?” Based on testimonies from the Russia-Ukraine war archived by The Reckoning Project, Anastasiia Kosodii and Josephine Burton have created the play The Reckoning, inviting audiences to follow a journalist as they step into this chapter of history.

A journalist (Marianne Oldham) visits the home of a man (Tom Godwin). This man, a security guard from Stoyanka, stayed behind to look after the house and two dogs when most people fled for safety after the war began. As he speaks with the journalist, he gradually recounts his experiences—how he became the only survivor in the town, and how he was mistaken for a Russian and subjected to a harsh interrogation. At the same time, through their conversation, the audience also begins to learn about the journalist's own experiences during that period. In addition, the play interweaves interviews with Ukrainian civilians, conveyed through Olga Safronova and Simeon Kylsyi (referred to as Sam in the play), both of whom lived through the war. As the man tells his story, they become fragments of that narrative: sometimes soldiers, sometimes an elderly woman, helping to bring those moments to life on stage vividly.

Entering the theatre feels like stepping into the home of an ordinary family that has been bombed (Zoë Hurwitz). There's a massive hole in the wall, bricks are scattered across the floor, and the furniture is in disarray. Yet from the pot on the stove, a photo on the shelves, and tea still in the teapot, you can still sense the traces of everyday life that was once there. Before the performance begins, Olga and Sam chat casually as they gradually tidy up the space, restoring it to how it once was, except for that gaping hole, which couldn’t be repaired. For the most part, the play is quiet, with occasional faint music that carries regional characteristics (Bella Kear), which makes the sounds of collapsing frames and tabletop more jarring and highlights the atmosphere of war. The lighting (Joshua Pharo) also helps the audience clearly distinguish between past and present, enhancing the sense of immersion.

When Safronova and Kylsyi speak the monologues from the testimonies, they speak directly in Ukrainian, with the journalist providing real-time translation. Although their words aren't immediately understood, their presence is vivid and deeply moving. Watching them, you can genuinely feel that there is a real group of people behind this piece. The journalist played by Oldham is composed yet compassionate, making her portrayal of the profession highly convincing. Godwin’s character is especially striking. His emotions are deeply restrained, but the feelings still rise to the surface, instantly drawing the audience into his emotional world.

From the moment the journalist meets the man, he is making a salad, and after the play ends, the audience gets to taste this traditional Ukrainian salad as well. The storytelling in the play is straightforward and unembellished, without much artistic polish. There are certainly more engaging ways the story could have been told, but because the content is filled with genuine and profound emotion, the audience is naturally drawn in and listens attentively.

The Reckoning runs at Arcola Theatre until 28th June 2025.

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★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Ikin Yum