Square Peg Theatre take the atmosphere of Scandi crime onto the stage, says Chris High
When an anti-fracking demonstration at Roseacre turns violent a group of protestors must fight to uncover the truth. The story follows an undercover police officer caught in a world of lies, betrayal, and murder. This, however, is not the premise of a novel but instead that of a play produced by Square Peg Theatre. It was written by one of the company’s founder members, Michael White, who also starred in and directed the production.
‘We were looking for a particular aesthetic that would fit the stage so we thought that a Scandinavian-type crime thriller would offer something of challenge, given that they are usually so vast in their landscape,’ Michael explains. ‘The revelations of what was happening with regards to undercover police operations were just coming out as we started developing ideas, so it seemed logical to follow up on the high profile cases who had relations with those they were supposed to be investigating. That level of betrayal and mistrust offered so much. It also fitted in well with our research into Scandinavian crime thrillers and what makes them so popular. The idea of a police officer being caught between two worlds became more and more interesting.’