Theatre Review: Lost in Translation
A St Andrews Fresher’s Drama Festival Production
05/02/23-06/02/23 The Byre Theatre, St Andrews.
Director: Mahan Nikbakhsh
Producers: Amelia Stewart
Reviewed by Jadzia Allright
Lost in Translation, which is written by student Mahan Nikbakhsh, is an absurdist piece of theatre, focuses itself around the themes of misunderstanding and division. It shares a name with the 2003 film directed by Sofia Coppola, who described the film as a story about looking for moments of connection in a disconnected world. Nikbakhsh explores a different take on the ‘lost in translation’ statement, wherein the main character is himself disconnected from the world and is searching for meanings in life.
The three characters only add to themes of disconnection, portrayed by Jack Detwiler, Emily Speed, and Amelia Stokeld, as they remain nameless throughout the play. The actors’ involvement in the creative process simulated well-realised and intricate characters, who interacted with each other authentically. There is a certain vagueness as to what Speed and Stokeld represent, which further adds to the internal struggles of Jack Detwiler. They seek to explore cultural and intellectual disconnection and in doing this, the audience is left, scrambling, out of the loop.
The understated set, littered with pomegranates, aids the excursion into Detwiler’s character’s mind. Although Speed and Stokeld never physically interact, they are both always on the stage, existing and reminding the audience of their presence. Even when the light is focused elsewhere, they are moving, adding to the sense of realism.
All-in-all it is an impressive character study of one man, whereby the other two characters can be what you make of them. The beauty of the production is the ambiguity in both the ending and the characters themselves.
