Emily Dunford
Persons A, B and C are all attending a job interview. They’ve made it through several rounds and now they’re in the final three. These characters are, at first, no more than nameless archetypes, business personified in three distinct categories with well-designed costume to illustrate. As the interview process grows ever more grilling, we start to tease out aspects of the characters’ personalities before, finally, they can be named. PALP’s One Above is a critique of neoliberal celebrations of one-upmanship and the ideal person, showing us three individuals that drive themselves into the ground for a “You’re doing really well” from the unseen interviewer.
PALP have come up with a really exciting idea for One Above. An omniscient, Orwellian interviewer, voice booming at the individuals being tied in knots by the questions. It voices anonymity, reducing characters to formulae. Unfortunately, the concept is not expanded upon enough for this production to substantially examine the issues at its heart. The cast, all charismatic performers, don’t get a lot of chance to expand on their characters and old ground is regularly covered. Whilst entertaining and darkly comic, One Above feels thin.
The concept of the interviewer, and the role that the audience is given as a test control, is intriguing but underutilised. If the audience is explicitly mentioned as having a purpose, I’d like to see that purpose in action – perhaps casting a vote. In its current form, One Above would benefit from an audiovisual element to expand the dystopia of the piece and make it a little more interesting.
As the play comes to its conclusion, it’s easy to see the characters growing and moving to a point of realisation. The final moments are wonderfully frustrating. Despite its imperfections, One Above is curious and genuine.
One Above is playing at theSpace @ Jury’s Inn (Venue 260) until 29 August, bar 16 and 23, as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. For more information, visit the Edinburgh Fringe website.