The Stage

Invisible

Published Friday 21 October 2011 at 18:19 by Ben Sharratt

Invisible, by Croatian playwright Tena Stivicic, is a compassionate tale of immigrants to Britain being overlooked, underpaid and broadly underwhelmed. The underlying theme appears to be that in the modern world, with its blurred geographical boundaries, techno-reliance and career pressures, a great many of us exist in a state of flux - it’s just that some are more stateless than others.

A scene from Invisible at the New Wolseley Theatre, Ipswich Photo: Zbigniew Kotkiewicz

Stivicic and director Rintoul have fused a crisp, punchy script with dreamy slow motion choreography and innovative lighting/soundscapes in order to present a multilayered story which builds towards an unexpected climax. It does so stealthily and with the elements fusing near perfectly. Of these layers, the most affecting are inhabited by Anton (Krystian Godlewski) and Lara (Anna Elijasz), two young, brave, hopeful Eastern Europeans reduced to a life of cast-off freebies and dead-end jobs. Godlewski commendably transmits the tension and hurt pride inside Anton, a skilled carpenter reduced to cleaning windows. Elijasz imbues the sunny optimist Lara with just the right air of unspoken desperation as she and Anton grit their teeth at the bottom of the pile - this was a delightful professional debut by the Guildhall graduate.

Meanwhile, Felix is the middle class professional on the other side of the fence. The possibility of a contract stint in Romania makes for a thought-provoking juxtaposition with the people traffic coming the other way, but his mid-life crisis sees him lurch into the migrants’ sphere in London with terrible consequences. Jon Foster enacts Felix’s disintegration with subtlety, even if the plot makes his comeuppance feel just a tad too convenient. Bridgitta Roy is suitably exasperated as Felix’s partner, Ann, while Gracy Goldman, in particular, shows impressive versatility and a keen comedic eye as both careworn immigrant Leyla and the quietly smug metropolitan, Louise.

Using simple artistic techniques to penetrate a complex subject, Transport has produced a highly uplifting piece of theatre. Credit, too, to the New Wolsey for once again combining talents with an up and coming visiting company.