Men Without Shadows by Jean Paul-Sartre

For those of you who know Jean Paul-Sartre's work you might already be thinking that this will be a dark performance, possibly not very easy to follow and possibly a little dull. WRONG! Ok, it is dark literally...
The scene is France July, 1944, in an attic of an abandoned school are six young resistance fighters waiting for their ordered execution. A floor below, their three executioners face imminent death for the approaching Allied forces.  Granted it is not the most cheery of situations but the way the characters unfold and the feelings they go through has you on the edge of your seat. The Attic scenes are barely lit which adds to the atmostphere and contrasts well with the downstairs scenes. As a production it is very well put together with a simple but effective set and creative lighting. The music too added an eerie touch.
All the actors brought realism to their character and the right amount of tension. The only times I felt they were a little uneasy were the torture scenes but perhaps they were concerned that somebody might really get hurt! For me Tami stood out, maybe because she was the only female in the play but her performance particularly near the end when she had resigned herself to death was captivating.
For such a young cast, most fresh out of NIDA it really was a great accolade to NIDA and themselves. I am sure most will continue to have a very successful acting careers.

Men Without Shadows is playing at the Parade Theatre until 12 March