Anna X

Anna X explores the thrills of young, rich life in New York, where to be young is to aspire to start-ups, Instagram hits and parties. This is challenged at the end of the piece when the truth is revealed and Ariel (Joshua James) and Anna (Rosie Sheehy) are forced to reflect on the realities of their situation. 

Sheehy delivers a fluid performance which is complemented by Lizzy Gunby’s excellent lighting design. Under director Daniel Raggett and producer Rebecca Gwyther, the show makes use of the small space and a vast imagination to deliver a very modern, chic and fun play about the lives of two young people trying to make their way in the glamorous cityscape.

Anna’s sweeping comments about the way “all Americans” are and her claim that “it’s easier to lie in a second language” is some distance from the realisation that having to resort to lies, trickeries and false identities is a reflection of a modern, commercial existence, where the sale of ideas takes precedence over its implementation.

Sheehy and James deliver an engaging performance that is full of energy. The bond between the two brings to life a play that relies on a narrative which moves across geographical space as the characters alternate between identities dramatised through accent and gesture.

In only 60 minutes, this ambitious project covers a huge amount of ground and provokes many questions which the audience are left to ponder as they quickly vacate the space in time for the next show.

Marissa Khaos

Anna X is at the Pit from 13^th until 17^th March 2019. For further information or to book visit the show’s festival page here.

Read more reviews from our Vault Festival 2019 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Vault Festival website here.