Brick by Left for Dead Theatre Company, in association with Boondog Theatre, is a powerful and moving story about James, a young queer man who finds himself in a holding cell after a protest goes wrong. This essentially one-person production explores the ideas of loneliness and trauma, all of which ultimately lead to James throwing a brick at a police officer after attempting to impress a crush.
Brick follows the life of James (played by the incredible Noah Xavier, who also wrote the entire production), who throughout his life has been forced to overcome an array of traumatic experiences, which have caused him to present himself as an incredibly headstrong and impulsive young adult. The audience is first introduced to this character in the opening moments of the show, where he is thrown into a holding cell after supposedly throwing a brick at a police officer. This leads to James delivering a passionate and striking rant at the fictitious officers, with multiple references to violence, sexual references and strong language (making this a show clearly targeted towards a more mature audience), which was incredibly performed by Noah as they visibly poured everything into this overflow of emotions that captivated every single person in the audience. Throughout the show, we see James begin to mellow out as he starts to open up to his silent cellmate and explain to the audience the series of events that led to where he is today. The writing has been crafted in such a way that these layers of the character are carefully yet purposefully peeled away as the crowd begins to develop immense amounts of sympathy towards this character. This is a testament not only to the writing itself but also to the powerful way Noah is able to capture this highly complex character. As someone who works in an educational establishment that aims to equip students who have experienced similar adverse childhood experiences (or ACEs) as James, I am very aware of the pathway to crime, and so seeing a show explore these ideas is not only very powerful but also incredibly important. Throughout the show, the audience are drip-fed information that builds a bigger picture as to why James supposedly did what he did and promotes the message that support at any point could have stopped this happening. The show builds to the reveal that the officer James supposedly assaulted was, in fact, someone his family (who had disowned him years ago for being gay) had a deep connection with, as they were investigated in an abuse case involving James’ sister. This, in conjunction with the unconscious extremism encouraged by a potential crush in a coffee shop, means that the volatile character has an opportunity to right this perceived wrong, which lands James in the position he currently finds himself in. One of the most powerful metaphors throughout this entire production is when James begins to discuss his childhood passion for chess and the plethora of strategies one needs to possess in order to excel at this game. He talks about the immense stress and anxiety competing in high-scale events would cause in his earlier life, but also hints at the calculating mind he has that is reflected throughout the story itself.
Despite my constant references to Brick being essentially a one-person production, James is not the only character brought to life on stage, as he is joined by the voiceless Tiberius in the holding cell. I have to admit that I was a little perplexed walking into the studio at C ARTS, as the crowd were greeted with a singular character lying prone on the stage. As a dramatic technique, this is wonderfully captivating, as it instantly puts the crowd on the edge of their seats to find out how they ended up there, but this is actually never revealed. Throughout the show, we learn that this mystery sleeper, Tiberius, has also found himself in a holding cell with nothing but a flask of alcohol, but only utters a series of grunts and moans throughout. As an antithesis to the highly strung James, Tiberius is a silent observer (although assumed to be unconscious) throughout, representing someone who has been ground into submission by the powers that are trying to do the same thing to James. The show itself is a politically charged production that highlights James fighting against the injustices he has faced throughout his lifetime (perceived or otherwise), and so having Tiberius on stage from the very opening moments until the closing sequence is an obvious commentary on how certain higher-ups want people to be: both passive and submissive.
In conclusion, Brick by Left for Dead Theatre Company, in association with Boondog Theatre, is an intense and moving story of finding community and exploring your identity, told entirely through the perspective of a headstrong queer gentleman. The mostly one-person production is captivating and gripping, with an impulsive character bearing all to explain how he ended up in this situation. I would rate this show 3 out of 5 stars!
Rhysreviews 