In this world premiere production of Olivia Mace's bitter-sweet dystopian play, 'A Pineapple', we are shown a claustrophobic insight into our possible near future, to 2058 to be precise. Natural disasters have created huge storms where the icecaps have melted and Leeds is now underwater. It is a world where we live in isolation from each other in 'pods' - or at least those who could afford them. But we don't have money, since there is nothing to buy and there are no shops. The atmosphere outside is almost insupportable for human life, and the fear and threat of contamination is very real. Despite the obvious 'poverty' of this situation, there are still three very distinct social classes, and the government is run by the children of the ones who were in power previously, keeping the 'old boy network' alive despite the crises the human race faces. This is a world where a video-style computer screen is almost Big Brother-like occupying the garden wall, whilst claps and voice controls activate artificial bird song and turn on the lights. It is a world where the grandma, only 74 years' old, is in constant pain from, among other things diabetes, and has requested to 'opt out', wishing to end her life by legal lethal injection before she becomes a burden to her 28 year old granddaughter with whom she lives together in their own 'pod'.
The garden of this pod is cleverly constructed on 53two's theatre stage. Scaffolding creates the small square in which the actors must use, whilst plants and vegetables are growing in bags and trays all around. Grandma lives more and more in the past and is constantly filling her granddaughter's head and thoughts with such things as fish swimming the rivers, black tea with milk, etc, and despite her being 28 years' old, is actually very childlike and immature in many resects. Having known almost nothing except for the inside of this pod, she is obviously socially inept and shy, but that does not stop her from having feeling for the minister who comes to discuss and fulfil grandma's wishes. In fact, in a world where only the elite are destined to procreate in the hope the human race can continue, whilst everyone else is condemned to isolation, the minister chooses to court her, and does this by bringing her presents of foodstuffs only available to the ruling class, which of course, is, hence the title, a pineapple.
The set design is excellent, and the transformation into prison was both unexpected and cleverly executed. The lighting is a times a little too dim, and the overuse of haze didn't really help in this regard. The music used is at times too loud and interferes and obfuscates the comprehension of the narrative or the tension f the moment. The acting however is both naturalistic and very believable. I have tried to see if I can find a programme online but have failed, and since I do not have the ability to use QR codes, then apologies, but cannot credit anyone by name. Grandma's arc of deterioration was superbly measured, and her onstage chemistry with her granddaughter was palpable. The granddaughter's character was very hard to pin down since she flit from moment to moment from innocent and petulant child to cognisant and capable adult, but she managed this with unerring singularity. Whilst Charles, the minister who enters her life is sweet, polite, almost robotic (especially vocally - a nice idea working well), and slightly creepy.
The dialogue is a heady mix of naturalism, memory, hard-hitting realism, and risqué comedy! The director did well to make these flow as well as they did, signposting the narrative drive of the piece easily whilst not overlooking some of the darker undertones the piece creates.
Reviewer - Alastair Zyggu
on - 24.4.25
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