The Anarchy (1138-53) by Doppelgangster, at Theatre Works - 2 hours 15 minutes, without interval - rating NO STARS

I can’t think of a play I have seen that I have detested more than the 40 minutes of garbled nonsense I sat through before walking out of The Anarchy (1138-53).

The title refers to a civil war in England and Normandy at that time, which resulted in a widespread breakdown of law and order.

Photos by Skye Gellmann

The production was slated to last for 2 hours 15 minutes without interval. Oh my, what an endurance test – one that I failed inside five minutes, after which I simply wanted outta there.

I see and review the best part of a couple of hundred plays a year and I am not someone who makes it a habit to exit early (in fact, far from it).

However, this is a noteworthy exception.

There is nothing even remotely engaging, entertaining or enjoyable about what I witnessed.

With the audience in traverse seating, we sat in darkness for the first 15 or 20 minutes.

During that time, a wild man (played by Tobias Manderson-Galvin) berated us with verbiage all but impossible to hear.

When I say berated, his voice was shouty and overlaid with such loud music that it was simply incoherent most of the time.

I say that regardless of whether he was speaking with or without a microphone (he did both).

On occasions, he injected humour, breaking the fourth wall.

He and a lady directly opposite him (Tobias' sibling Kerith Manderson-Galvin) on a barren, mirrored stage were dressed in all black. 

Around his body were faux chains. On his face, black and white war paint. Think punk rock on steroids.

The show’s descriptor indicates The Anarchy (1138-53) is part one of a 15-hour trilogy that takes inspiration from the darkest of the dark ages.

Seriously, is the crew behind this, known as Doppelgangster, taking the piss or what? I am convinced they are.

I understand that they are disruptors, but crowd confusion doesn't make them compelling.

As I sat in the theatre with my skin crawling at the diatribe I was trying to make sense of, all I could determine was that the setting was one of violence and disorder.

Charles Dickens wrote about the best of times and the worst of times.

Clearly, this was the worst of times – one that I wanted to flee from (and I wasn’t the only one), so I did.

Now, let’s be candid, embarrassment is a bedfellow when leaving while a show is ongoing.

In this case, Kerith broke stride and sent the pair who left before me and, then, me on our way with a cheery goodbye and thanks for coming.

The metaphorical spotlight was on us.

I was simply left wondering how many made it through to the end because clearly the performers recognise that this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Best put – highly selective.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you. My advice, stay away.

And if you needed any more convincing, the warnings about the content, along with the technical warnings on the website, should surely be enough to deter you.

Here goes:

Subject Warnings:

- Themes of general societal distress

- Mentions of war

- Strong language

- Discussion of the death of a sibling

- Theatrical violence

- Religious themes/imagery

- Dark and distressing text

- Overwhelming long and fast text

- Mentions of murder

- Asking audience members to participate in suspension of reality

Technical Warnings:

- Multiple uses of flashing lights

- Leaf blower (used for theatrical effect, sometimes directly aimed at audience members)

- Industrial fans directed at the audience

- Continued and excessive use of fog/haze

- Use of mist sprayer (directly at the audience)

To that, add excessive loud music and piercing lighting.

Enough said. The Anarchy (1138-53) is an assault on the senses.

It is on at Theatre Works until 13th September, 2025.