Uprooted devised by Ephemeral Ensemble. New Diorama Theatre, 15 Triton Street, London NW1 until 25 October 2025, 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

Photo Credit: Alex Brenner.

Uprooted devised by Ephemeral Ensemble. New Diorama Theatre, 15 Triton Street, London NW1 until 25 October 2025,

5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

“Mind-blowing theatre.”

We came from the earth, and we are destroying the earth. Devised by the Ephemeral Ensemble this sixty-minute experience, play it isn't, uses the resources of theatre, sound, light, illusions and some floating material to put across its messages with great skill. Maybe the argument could be put more clearly, maybe the words do not always come across as well as they might and the warning notice one is handed telling one what to expect is completely pointless – what happens does shock, do astonish but one sees more explicit violence, far more explicit sexual violence on any television channel. Perhaps it is there because theatres think audiences need mollycoddling. They may, but they should not. One should be there to be stimulated, outraged, challenged and entertained – not necessarily by every production. That apart what we see is astounding, brilliant use is made to create the world of Latin America with lights transformed into spikey plants, and an avalanche  created with one of those floating sheets of material which engulfs players and audience as does from time to time clouds of haze – there us a lot of interaction between the players and the audience, something that can be awkward and contrived but here works perfectly to take the watchers into the world before them. The theme is set with an opening speech from Vanessa Guevara Flores, a Mexican, who tells of how she grew up. How her family lived off the land and gave back to the land. Then we head south, the Amazon is duly raped, the world of consortiums take over and native populations are expelled from their lands, settlers who farmed responsibly are also replaced. It is a story worth telling and is duly told very well indeed. This is an hour not to be missed. Mind blowing to put it mildly.

Cast

Alex Paton, Eyglo Belafonte, Josephine Tremelling, Louise Wilcox, Vanessa Guevara Flores.

Creatives

Music and Sound Composition – Alex Paton

Sound Designer – Marco Curcio

Tree Sculpture– Caroline Rieckhof