When reading the synopsis for The Elevator, I was instantly intrigued as the premise is one that is as novel as any that I’ve seen in recent years. Dealing with everything from the pitfalls of AI to corporate culture to the increasing individuality of society, this felt like a perfect play for the times and one that would take risks that few other playwrights would be willing to make. It seemed that many in the Ensemble Theatre were equally excited in anticipation of this, with the theatre full and buzzing for the performance reviewed.
The entire play is set in an elevator with Margot being trapped alongside her PR guru and a janitor as the lift breaks down. It is very poor timing for Margot and her PR manager, Alison, as they are dealing with a crisis where their AI-driven car product has hit a pedestrian and they are dealing with the fallout. For 90 minutes, with no interval, it feels like the audience becomes trapped with three characters as things evolve in the elevator and more details gradually get revealed like a web before the final shocking twist at the end of the play.
The play is very well crafted, with Eloise Snape using all of her skills to slowly reveal more information to the audience while also making her points about the various social issues that she wants to discuss. It is cleverly constructed and the setting of an elevator is the perfect placement for this show, acting as the quintessential liminal space. The acting is also strong, with Leeanna Walsman playing Margot very well while Shirong Wu’s nervous laughter as a result of the stress is a very funny comedic break. Di Adams is also fantastic as Ollie, bringing initial heart and then ruthlessness to her role, which takes the play to another level.
Where the play slightly falls flat is that in 90 minutes it seeks to do way too much. While the AI discussions are warranted and gender also plays a central part as Margot is back on the job 24 hours postpartum, the play simply tries to do too much in trying to analyse the corporate world, racism, gender, class, technology and everything in between in 90 minutes. It is just too much content and this means that some of the powerful things that the play tries to say about AI and the corporate world don’t quite land because they’re so obscured with everything else.
Further, the criticism of the corporate world doesn’t quite land in places, with Margot almost feeling like a cartoon character villain at times, rather than a true in-depth exploration of the unflinching CEO. As a result, the twist doesn’t land quite as well as it could have because the characters are so alienated from the audience so no empathy is engendered. While this is the point, some humanity may have made the play hit a little deeper. In this regard, some of the dialogue also just doesn’t quite land, with the heavy-handedness of the CEO referring to the janitor as ‘a person of no consequence’ making the whole thing feel a little bit unrealistic. With that said, Kelsey Lee’s set is really clever and well designed, creating a modern, almost eerily dystopian atmosphere. Lee’s lighting is also eerie and adds to the sense of tension on stage, with the production elements in this play combining really well for maximum effect.
Overall, this is a very interesting show, which has a lot of promise and is very clever in the way it weaves together the narrative, slowly unravelling pieces for the audience. However, some of the writing at times is a little bit didactic and tries to do too much, which ultimately holds the play back from feeling totally effective. With that said, this is definitely a play that needs to be seen and with a bit of revision and reworking this play could serve as both entertainment and a warning.
Rating: ★★★★
The Elevator plays at the Ensemble Theatre until 18 October. For more information, click here.
All photo credits: Prudence Upton
