[Event Review] Lethe (2022)

A constantly moving beast filled with anguish and devastating trauma that haunts us forever; the world can be a cruel place, but what if you could erase all the bad bits? As someone that has battled with traumatic events leading to mental health issues, I’ve often wondered what would happen if these moments in time were simply eradicated from my memory, and new sci-fi theatre show Lethe explores the harsh realities that could exist if memory erasure were to be a possibility in the modern world. 

Lethe is a cyberpunk dystopian display following a young professional, Alice, after she has undergone a cutting-edge mind and body augmentation. Alice wakes up in a clinical room, with no indication of how she has come to be here, or why she finds herself in what can only be described as some form of medical institution. Through a series of dialogues she discovers that she is at Lethe Enterprises recovery center after volunteering to take part in an experimental trial to remove part of her memory so she can start afresh. Without any memory of her previous life, Alice must navigate her new life with only fragments available to help her understand what dark past led her to take such a radical decision. 

Harpy Productions is a female-led theatre and audio production company, focusing on telling stories draped in horror, or as they describe it “Wicked women telling weird tales”, which immediately piqued my interest. Founders Noga Flaishon and Katie Pratten are furthermore helping to champion women in horror, and bringing this to the theatre world which is something I absolutely need more of. The majority of the cast and crew behind Lethe are female, and the importance of telling women-centric stories comes through within the storytelling of the show itself. 

At the forefront of Lethe is actress Sarah Cullum, playing Alice, who delivers one of the most enigmatic and mesmerising performances, from the moment she begins her 70 minute monologue the audience are completely captivated. Alongside is supporting actress Eleanor Harper as Alice’s sister Daphne, who might not say as much but also displays a powerfully gripping performance. The show has only two in-person characters and a stripped back set with next-to-no props, which in theory could make it difficult to capture the audience’s attention for it’s runtime but Lethe has such a dark, deep and personal story with two leads that are absolutely outstanding that it doesn’t need to rely on any theatrics to deliver an out-of-this-world show.

Lethe blends sci-fi and horror together in one of the most realistic portrayals that has been seen before - focusing on how removing the parts that intrinsically make us human can destroy our very own soul. This depiction looks at the horrors of trauma, and how the mind and body connect with one another to absorb the existence of said trauma, and removing one from the other can lead to devastating consequences. I immediately gravitated towards the character of Alice and understood many of her internal battles, and how trauma can have a lifelong effect on mental health, self-sabotage and usage abuse. 

A sobering look at trauma through the cerebral lens of technology, set within a darkly dystopian future. Enigmatic and mesmerising performances that will keep you connected to the core of this sci-fi horror about mental health. 

Grab your tickets to see Lethe now at Kings Head Theatre, London! Available until 12th November. 

RELATED ARTICLES

---

EXPLORE

---

MORE ARTICLES

---

---