Plinth – Traverse Theatre

Part of Edinburgh’s Manipulate Festival 2024, Plinth is created and performed by Glasgow-based, Al Seed. A darkly intense, wordless portrayal of human conflict, and a timely reminder that actions speak louder than words.

A show that comes with a warning, that it contains loud music/sounds, flashing lights and smoke effects, and rightly so. At times this was certainly in the ‘uncomfortable’ zone. But then again, you could argue that the depiction of war should be uncomfortable. Reminiscent of one of my favourite shows from last year, As Far As Impossible (Lyceum), which questioned why some medics continually return to conflict zones, Plinth asks some similarly unanswerable wordless questions about the inevitability of conflict and the human thirst for ascendancy.

Seed’s unquestioning, protective reverence to a small marble statue, his Pavlovian auto-response to a whistle blast, or cowering fear of a spotlight and tattoo of rifle fire help build a narrative. His quick, robotic, jerky movements see him on ‘fast forward’, speaking to invisible companions around a campfire and hint at the intense fear, mental illness and PTSD which war induces.

Moving through the weapons of destruction, from the primitive spear the sword, the rifle to the radio-active mantel of nuclear weaponry and with a hint towards automated drones, AI controlled robots and microwave weapons of the future, Seed correctly shows that the human ingenuity for weapons of death and mass destruction will never end.

A brilliantly conceived, powerful piece, Al Seed’s physical performance is extraordinary, seamlessly moving from the jerky, rapid, clockwork movements of the pawns to the imperial, smooth flow of their masters and controllers. Set against Guy Veale’s powerful whirling and grinding soundscape which never lets up and a brilliantly brutal set design by Kai Fischer. Not for the faint hearted.

Reviewer: Greg Holstead

Reviewed: 3^rd February 2024

North West End UK Rating: