Keep Watching at New Diorama Theatre

With a ginormous amount of suspense, a hilarious depiction of everyday life and a plot which will leave the audience on the edge of their seats, Keep Watching is an incredible drama which will remain in London’s memory for years to come. From the cast to Bethany Gupwell’s lighting design, from Dominic Kennedy’s sound design to Jesse Fox’s writing, everything in the show is put together perfectly, making it thrilling, terrifying and hauntingly relatable – in short, an absolute masterpiece.

The script follows nurse Kat (Beatrice Scirocchi), who, after recovering her stolen bag thanks to the police’s surveillance team, forms an online friendship with Jo (Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo), who was part of the force which helped during the operation. As Kat’s life falls apart due to the troubles of an average life –  with her brother Zak (George Evans) frequently lying to her, her best friend not being available, and having to suffer through an intolerable job – she grows increasingly dependent on her new all-seeing friend – and thus becomes comfortable with the idea of complete surveillance.

Throughout much of the play’s 90-minute runtime, the onlookers are confronted with a range of vitally relevant questions: how dependent are we on social media? How much information are we willing to give away freely? How much access should the police be allowed to have to our personal information? And how do we cope with the increasing amount of isolation in our daily lives? All these questions – and more – never feel forced, but are woven neatly together in the excellent plot, which is just as engaging as it is important.

The production, too, is absolutely fantastic. Kennedy’s use of sound and music never gets old and ties perfectly into the action, Gupwell’s lighting creates a huge range of moods, and the minimalistic, grey-laden set design by Sarah Beaton is exploited to the best of the cast’s ability. Speaking of the actors, all three have fully incorporated their complex characters so well that one would never doubt their sincerity for a single second. Lewis-Nyawo even gets the chance to display her astonishing vocal prowess alongside her acting talent.

What more is there to say? Keep Watching needs to be watched. It’s not often that one gets the chance to see a production which is so sincere and powerful in every aspect that one could suggest it’s relatable to everyone – but this is definitely one of those instances.

Michael Higgs
Photo: The Other Richard

Keep Watching is at New Diorama Theatre from 2^nd April until 4^th May 2019. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.