After being performed all over the UK by the Reckless Sleepers, Schrödinger came to the New Adelphi Theatre this November. Based on the original 1998 ‘Schrödinger’s Box’ and directed by Mole Wetherell, this production was 60 minutes of confusing, yet fascinating chaos. Never fully understanding what was unfolding on stage, but yet it was impossible to look away.
This play will entrance you from the very beginning, the best way to describe it would be that it feels as if you are in a fever dream. Opening with a very calm and beautiful piano melody, which slowly, and without you even realising it, descended into a hypnotic, mind-numbing hum.
The set started off as very plain and unassuming. Just a couple of chairs and some white sheets, all within a black ‘box’, presumably meant to be Schrödinger’s box. What was interesting about the set was that the walls of the black box were made out of chalk-board material, and by the end of the show the walls were filled with random scribbles of numbers, arrows, cats, and ominous messages. Chaos. A common motif throughout the show.
You’ll never know what to expect next during this hour. One minute the actors were falling from the ceiling, the next they were chugging and throwing water at one another, or reciting a series of numbers. It was absolutely hectic in the best possible way. Furthermore, the way the performers moved was so chilling and unnerving, their slight movements and blank expressions made for an uncomfortable and intriguing viewing.
Never being able to predict where they were going to appear from. The box was full of holes and doors, at some points there were multiple heads popping out from several corners of the stage. What was particularly impressive was when one of them climbed up the walls of the stage suddenly and managed to squeeze through a small hole at the top of the stage. At times there was so much going on, it was a struggle to decide where to look
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Hardly any words were spoken throughout the entire performance, yet the intense physicality of the people on stage was enough to engage the audience and keep them hooked for the duration of the show.
Watching this felt like being in the mind of a mad scientist, who is enthralled and enslaved by their research. Schrödinger is definitely a peculiar viewing experience, it’s like entering the Twilight Zone, but it is one that will leave you speechless when the lights turn on, and it will live in your mind for days.
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