The Ripple Effect: Drama Review

On Thursday 16 May 2019, Chronicle.lu sat in on the opening performance of The New World Theatre (NWTC)'s latest production, The Ripple Effect.

Directed jointly by Valerie Scott and Chris Wilson, The Ripple Effect starts off at the end of the story and explores the events which led up the death of Eva's husband and the consequent effects on the lives of her and her sister as well as that of the man responsible, and addresses themes including loss, fate and revenge.

The one-act play is built around short scenes and a minimalistic set - ideal for FEATS (see below) - with Philip Dutton controlling the sound and lighting. On stage were Christine Probst, Rachael Singh, Victor Bonanno and Kim Hermans who put in sterling performances. To do so, they had a great script with which to work.

With a dialogue-heavy 50-minute play, it was always up to the actors to deliver on stage, and this they do, with aplomb. "Shaped by circumstance" and "every action has a consequence" are lines that are central to the play and unravelling the circumstances leading up to the fateful event. What is....? allows reflection on circumstance and actions, but does not deliver any satisfactory answers. But it does allow the audience a glimpse into how the ending (as presented in the first scene) came about. If Eva and her husband had been in a certain place either one minute earlier or one minute later, would life (and death) played out the same? The consequence of actions is clearly defined - such as the action of changing a pair of shoes, etc.

"The Ripple Effect" was written by Robert Scott and is being performed on 16 - 18 May 2019 at 20:00 each evening at the Altrimenti Cultural Centre (5 ave Marie-Thérèse, L-2312 Luxembourg-ville).

Tickets: Non-members €12; Members €10; Students €10. To reserve, email: pam@sarumlux.net or tel: 356339.

The NWTC will also perform "The Ripple Effect" at FEATS (the Festival of European Anglophone Theatrical Societies) that is taking place this year in Munich from Thursday 30 May to Sunday 2 June. The annual FEATS theatre festival features 12 one act plays, 3 per night, and at the end of each evening a professional adjudicator gives feedback on the evening’s productions.