'Human Animals' by Stef Smith
Nottingham New Theatre,

Stef Smith's play Human Animals is a dystopian drama about life in a world that has become infested with animals. The city is so plagued by foxes, mice and pigeons that roads are closed, parks burned and curfews imposed.

The play's focus is on the effect this has on the city's residents: the relationship between middle-class widow Nancy and her daughter, Alex, who wants to protect animal rights; a young couple, Lisa and Jamie, who find themselves in opposition when it comes to the mass-destruction of animals; the closeted John (Nancy's neighbour) and his relationship with Si, who works in chemical distribution and has been cut off from visiting his daughter by the closure of roads crossing the river.

O love the whole dark feel about this play and the whole atmosphere is unnerving, especially if you don't know the play, like myself and don't know what is coming. You know that you are "safe" because you're in a theatre with other people but become immersed in this story and you forget where you are and you can allow yourself to feel just a little uncomfortable.

There's a scene which involves Nancy which has no dialogue for about three minutes which is so powerful. The gradual disintegration between Jamie and Lisa's relationship, the pulling apart between Nancy and Alex, the sexual tension between Si and John and then there are the ways that the separate characters intertwine with the others is a fascinating and explosive mix.

All underpinned by what may, or may not be media exploitation and exaggeration. Who and what do you believe?

Directed by Joe Strickland who encapsulates the oppressive growth throughout the play, really making one feel uneasy with what you're hearing and seeing. This play will make you think hard about your own environment and what it would be like without animals in it. Even walking to the bus stop afterwards, I imagined what that area of the University would be like without the sound of the geese and the other birds on the lake. How silent this world would be.

Now of course the Director's role and the Producer's role are vital in how we are steered into what they want us to perceive from the play and so praise must also go to this play's Producer, Morven Cameron, a brilliant way to break her duck in this role.

One thing I do enjoy about many of the NNT productions is that they don't feel the need to introduce an interval where there doesn't need to be one and again this play ran all the way through and. like several before at the New Theatre, I was quite surprised when the end came and I'd been in there for almost two hours. A credit to Director, Producer and cast alike.

The cast were just magnetic,as well as magnificent in holding us in the palms of their hands. I was hooked on every word.

Will Tillett (Jamie), Eleanor Rickenbach (Lisa), Alice Martin (Nancy), Alex Levy (John), Georgia Barnwell (Alex) and Francis Simmons (Si) were perfectly cast.

I loved the simpleness of the three settings (Joe Strickland) and the lighting design (Nadia Elalfi) made sure we were focused on the area and characters we were supposed to, again controlling us, almost Big Brother style, and in line with the storyline of the play.

The at times subtle sound design by Tara Prasad also provided an interest to me with the music sound bites, but at no time detracting my attention from the flow of the play.

This is a play that will make you go away and think about how you would act if you were in this situation these six found themselves forced into, and may even question your relationships, not only with humans, but also with animals.

“Human Animals” is at the Nottingham New Theatre until Saturday 23 March.