John is writing. The only problem is, the characters won’t stop interacting with him, usually in violent and unpleasant ways. From gangsters to Western shoot-outs, John can’t seem to keep his characters under control. This show explores how writing, putting words to our experiences, can help us deal with traumatic events. There are some lovely repetitive, physical moments, and the young cast are clearly talented, despite a slight tendency to overact. But the abrupt ending, after only 35 minutes (much shorter than the advertised running time) meant that ’18 Foot Story’ was lying about its height. Had the narrative been more fully developed, the mystery and suspense of the piece would have been much stronger.

theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, until 20 Aug.
tw rating 3/5