Review: BRACE BRACE (Royal Court)

Review by Beth Bowden

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Have you ever thought about what kind of person you would be in an emergency situation? BRACE BRACE follows newlywed couple Sylvia (Anjana Vasan) and Ray (played by Phil Dunster) on what should have been one of the happiest days of their life: flying off on their honeymoon… Instead, four hours into their long haul flight, they find themself in the centre of a violent hijacking, and in the visceral fight for their lives. A hijacking on a aeroplane felt a bit like a wild premise for a play - until I realise it actually happened to writer Oli Forsyth - who was on a plane with his family, when a man forced his way into the cockpit, seized control and sent the plane hurtling down towards the ground at 30,000ft a minute. So although not directly Oli’s story and definitely a work of fiction, it is drawn from his experience. 

And at times, BRACE BRACE becomes a bit like an immersive experience of a plane crashing in real time - the lighting (Simeon Miller) and sound (Paul Arditti) are so terrifying and effective that they are almost too vivid…. The set (designed by Anna Reid)- a runway style platform that tilts and pitches into a hole in the floor in the middle of the traverse seating, feels like the inside of an aeroplane, and is the perfect example of how to use space effectively. The tilting, shuddering stage, flashing lights and the increasing sound of the engine in the plane becomes the backdrop for the claustrophobic anxiety, panic and stress built in the narrative. As the audience, it feels like we plunge and freefall with the characters, as they fight to take the hijacker down and save the plane. At one point, the violence, sound and fighting (Fight Director Alex Payne) feels so realistic, I actually have to look away. Basically, I wouldn’t recommend watching this show if you have a specific fear of flying… 

At its core, BRACE BRACE becomes an exploration of the after effects of a traumatic event, on your body, your brain - and even your relationships. The couple cope very differently in the aftermath of surviving the plane hijacking - an event which shifts their lives in a seismic way. Ray struggles initially with anger, but ultimately feels lucky they survived and blessed to have perspective on life. Sylvia feels cursed and haunted, unable to escape the experience, feeling unsafe, experiencing vivid flashbacks. Confronted by their near-death experience, this diversion in experience between the two threatens to rip the once happy couple apart at the seams. I think the explorations of differing responses to trauma are excellent, and show how perception, memory and worldviews can take root in our minds, and our bodies. 

The chemistry between Anjana Vasan and Phil Dunster is electric - starting as a couple insufferably in love, romantically teasing each other and charming the audience with anecdotes and jokes and eventually slipping into full blown fights, heartbreak and panic. The writing and characterisation can have you laughing one moment, and cause a HUGE jump-scare the next. My only criticism is that about halfway through, the tone becomes a little bit relentlessly angry: stuck in a cycle of shouting arguments that are inescapable for the audience. This may be the point - that PTSD and traumatic events can affect you deeply, intensely and for a long time, but it makes the second half of the play quite continuously intense, and slips a bit into the implausible and dramatic. Otherwise, I think the direction from Daniel Raggett is pretty spot on. 

I love a Royal Court Upstairs show - and this is a real cracker. Although I spent about half of it a bit scared of ever flying again, BRACE BRACE is visceral, powerful and packs an absolute punch. 

BRACE BRACE is playing at The Royal Court until 9th November. For more information and tickets: BRACE BRACE - Royal Court (royalcourttheatre.com)

Photos by Helen Murray