Emanuele Aldrovandi‘s absurd satirical play Scusate Se Non Siamo Morti in Mare is translated into English by Marco Young for its UK run. The play is currently showing at Park Theatre, London and runs until 30th of September.
Directed by Daniel Emery, this play looks at if the shoe was on the other foot, so to speak. Imagine a dystopian Europe that Europeans were trying to flee. Imagine its not a war torn Syria, or Africa or Ukraine. What if it was us desperately fleeing?
Three people are asked to pay a people smuggler $1000 deposit and then a further $1000 on entry into their destination country. It is clear they are desperate. For them, the risks in taking this perilous journey in an airtight container, outweigh staying in Europe.
Felix Garcia Guye plays the role of people smuggler aka “the Burley one”. His portrayal is utterly convincing as a complete sociopath. His eyes are dark and intense as he intimates and bullies the refugees throughout the play.
We find out that this is not the first treacherous journey for “The beautiful one” played by Swiss/ Egyptian actor Yasmine Haller. She warns “The Tall One” played by Will Bishop that he should think twice about taking this trip. Marco Young plays “The Stocky One”, who we understand to be a dangerous and threatening criminal from the outset when it is revealed he is carrying a knife and has not got enough money for the journey.
The actors are very effective throughout in giving a person a sense of claustrophobia and desperation when you imagine these people in an airtight container. The tension between them begins to mount and will only get worse when the boat capsizes. The plot takes an even darker turn at this point.
