Keepers

Written by Hilary Donald | 02 September 2010

Keepers tells the true story of Thomas Howell and Thomas Griffith, two 19th Century keepers of the Smalls Lighthouse off the West coast of Wales, who were tormented by isolation in the days without electricity and limited means of communication. With two chairs, a trapdoor and a ladder forming the set, The Plasticine Men describe the levels of the lighthouse they inhabit, it’s lamp, windows and the rocks and waves below, through strong physical performances and an impressive soundtrack.

Conflicted by solitude and dependency on one another, the two characters’ troubles are conveyed through simplistic, conventional ideas: one’s uptight, regimented routines and the other’s nature-loving, daydreamer qualities. Yet this is easy enough to overlook, as the production is intricately thought-out elsewhere.

The performances are accompanied by sound effects made by the third member of the cast, seated at a desk to the side of the stage, with a variety of musical instruments and household items carefully played and timed to accentuate and dramatise nuances in the plot development. It isn’t initially apparent, but further into the piece the sounds become richer and more dynamic by the use of a looping device, and by the end of the play all the sounds have culminated into a fully blown piece of music.

Through minimal means this is a surprising and complex production. Though melancholy and disturbing, all three performers’ technical prowess is stirring and the work is truly a delight to watch unfold.