Exploring the pursuit of truth, in a hypothetical police state, Dead Causes tackles fear, complicity and the need for job security. Catch moments of the last demo you attended, the last rave, the last time that you dissented...
I found the beginning weak, with an unnecessary theatrical in-joke splitting the audience in half. Cue knowing chuckles from the theatre boffins. However, this is not an indicator of the remainder of the show, which becomes increasingly gripping and accessible. The scenes switch between a security crew that bury ‘contaminated waste' – histories and past lives that for one reason or another need to be disposed of – and a group of savvy young actors/observers who commentate on the action. A woman wants to uncover the secret of the buried waste contained in the black boxes. She is lied to, threatened and finally laughed at. Society becomes so knowing that eventually the black boxes are replicated as tourist junk. Martyrs and heroes as collectible kitsch. Her protest is redundant.
At times the verbal commentary is overwhelming – the text could be a book – but humorous exchanges work well to sharpen the audience's attention. Likewise, the physical dimension – outbreaks of catch and tag with one of the black boxes – serve to refresh the brain from tense concentration.
Flying ladders, oil drums and sweaty backs make for good viewing.