The Spectacular | Camden People's Theatre

The Spectacular is a brilliant deep dive into what it means to fight British colonialism in the modern day. It offers up interesting questions and provocations about Irish nationalism and if and how violence is necessary for change. This show will make you think deeply and question your own politics in a way that is subtle and yet very clear. However, due to the radical nature of this show, this is a show to pay close attention to the trigger warnings before heading into the theatre.

The Spectacular is a show with a simple premise: two Irish nationalists want to pitch and try out their ideas for Spectaculars with the audience, and see which will be most effective in furthering their cause of Ireland’s reunification (Northern Ireland being given back to Ireland). “Spectacular” is known as an act of terror that is of no military effect, but provides a large media spectacle. These Spectaculars range from something as simple as performing short plays about the Irish potato famine throughout British cities, to possibly kidnapping, filming, and lightly torturing British civil servants. All are set up and interrogated as the play goes on, only to have the real and ultimate question rise to the surface: is the threat of or even the act of violence necessary to bring about reunification?

For 70 minutes, you’re taken on a journey exploring this question as you not only hear the Spectacular pitches, but you also learn more about how Jake and Naomi have spent the past year as sort of estranged best friends. It turns out that Naomi is a traitor for leaving Ireland to seek a PhD in Britain, and Jake is a traitor to the cause for becoming an ‘Ireland First’ nationalist. Their relationship, while deeply entrenched in their shared desire for reunification, is tense as they sit opposite each other both physically and on the political spectrum. And ultimately, the show ends with a very tense scene where Naomi has upped the stakes with a very clear potential act of violence and Jake, originally against violence despite his ‘Ireland first’ leanings, is considering it. The show ends right at the height of tension in a way that reminds you of how great fringe theatre really is. This isn’t spoonfed or sanitised, but real and fervent political theatre.

The show’s true brilliance is in how it lures you in with more innocent and even silly scenes until it suddenly gets twisted and deep and you’re not sure how you got there and who you agree with more. The simple but effective set uses ambiance and fog to set the scene versus large set pieces, which is perfect when combined with Camden People’s Theatre’s black box theatre. Both the lighting and sound design, by Jodi Rabinowitz and Łoter respectively, were particularly strong elements - underlining all the important scenes and really setting the tone in a way that was seamless with the action.

The only criticism here is that the script, written by Seán Butler, could be cut down a bit, particularly during the debate around how ‘Ireland First’ is a distraction from the cause of unification. That being said, the script was not only very sharp and clear for the most part, but there were also some beautiful lines about what it means to leave your home country. Sinéad May Keegan and Jack Hassett, who play Naomi and Jake respectively, have excellent chemistry and play off of each other well. Their tense relationship as comrades, friends, and even enemies at one point, is like a fantastic tennis match to watch.

Overall, this show is a fantastic watch for anyone who is interested in political, fringe, and thrilling theatre. The Spectacular may not have any military effect, but it certainly has created an unmissable theatrical spectacle at CPT.

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Holly Revell and Ariel Turgeman-Fabrizio.