One cannot bear to think of how badly theatre has been hit by the pandemic. It is thanks to the persistent hard work of small independent companies like Chalk Line Theatre that up-and-coming young actors have the space to truly shine and fulfil their purpose.

Chalk Line’s production of Amy Guyler’s The Nobodies was widely praised in the national British press earlier this summer and is now on tour. I am incredibly glad that I got to watch this slick, sharply executed production at Spazju Kreattiv.

Guyler’s script is the kind of material that Chalk Line specialises in ­– socio-political commentary with a twist. It is not only witty and clever in its ability to convey strong emotions with a cutting economy and accessible thematics, but its dark humour reveals that the rot spreads everywhere once power goes unchecked.

Marshalling this heaving text, which is in equal parts bold, brash, funny and critical, were the two co-directors, Sam Edwards and Vikesh Godhwani. Edwards’ dance background was visible in the high-energy, tightly choreographed sections while Godhwani’s eye for detail and dramatic blocking gave the play its cohesive edge.

Light and sound design in the hands of Alan Walden and Mekel Edwards respectively and served to heighten the directors’ vision along with designer Becca White’s aesthetic based on the working-class characters’ background.

Three friends, Aaron (David Angland), Curtis (Joseph Reed) and Rhea (Lucy Simpson) are devastated by the news that the local NHS hospital, where Rhea works and Aaron’s mother gets cancer treatment, is to be sold to the highest bidder for commercial purposes.

Highly entertaining and insightful

Their ire is representative of the growing and justified discontent which millions of young voters feel when they find that the system seems to be rigged in favour of the minority of vastly wealthy upper classes, while the majority of ordinary folk are left to flounder and struggle on their own.

Witnessing an accidental tragedy starts a chain of events that puts the three friends in charge of a growing group of malcontents which soon becomes very difficult to control as mob mentality sets in at the same time, the characters’ indignation and desire for positive change are mixed with an increasing sense of moral ambiguity when they realise that they too can benefit from supposedly fighting the injustice of the system.

While the three actors’ dynamic was a joy to watch, their electric performances worked just as well individually as they did together. This was a play that could not have been better cast.

Angland’s Aaron showed his growing anger from easy-going and hopeful lad to a hurt and bitter young man, was countered by an overconfident and righteous determination in the main instigator, down-and-out Curtis, who Reed portrayed with such zest and energy that it held the ensemble piece together and pitched them high.

A scene from the play 'The Nobodies' at Spazju Kreattiv.

Simpson’s Rhea came across as an honest hard-working disillusioned and disappointed young woman who desperately wants to make a difference to others’ lives and well-being. She served as the voice of common sense and moral rectitude within the trio and her earnest and genuine performance was both very likeable and relatable.

After having been physically out of the theatre for over 18 months, my first excursion back could not have been better timed or chosen than with Chalk Line’s The Nobodies. This isn’t just a show to watch, it’s one to talk about and tell others about.

Highly entertaining and insightful, with the just the right balance of humour, social-criticism and poignancy, Guyler’s excellent script and Chalk Line’s top-notch production are the perfect marriage of punchy, tongue-in-cheek theatre that makes a difference.