Baby Killers, The

Last night we went to see a new play, "Baby Killers, The" by Jeremy Menekseoglu, produced through the Dream Theatre.

It has some characteristic features of his plays: Gut-wrenching keep-you-guessing plot, tormented characters who are more than what they first seem, and a thematic cry for human freedom and dignity.

It has the characteristic production qualities of the Dream Theatre: compelling acting, intense staging, sparse but creative sets, strong use of sound to back up the mood of the piece.

I don't want to give too much away, but this play involves a society in which there are vast numbers of children who are slaving away at industrial equipment. Everyone speaks with cockney accents, and you might be forgiven for thinking you had stumbled into a Dickens production. But, trust me, that's not it. There's some Oliver Twist influence - but with major twists that take us into a world of make-believe.

This is the shape of his theme.
From out of a screaming nightmare,
A dream takes flight.