The Silence and the Noise Review: A dark, powerful & thought-provoking piece of theatre | Theatre Review

Dark, gritty and emotional, Pentabus Theatre Company presents The Silence and the Noise. This is a play that is now available as a short film to watch online; the previous streaming premiered at the Vaults Festival this year and was greatly successful – featuring on the Guardian’s ‘best theatre to stream’ list, and the piece is currently nominated for Best Film at both the Canterbury International Film Festival and the Broadstairs Film Festival. 

Having watched the encore screening which is available now, it is clear to see why The Silence and the Noise has had such a positive reception; Pentabus theatre pride themselves on their belief that “every person living in an isolated rural community has a right to exceptional theatre”; with The Silence and The Noise running online, this is proof of not only an example of exceptional theatre, but also that theatre can be made accessible for more people to watch, without losing any impact. Something absolutely fantastic and of which the importance cannot be understated. I am a firm advocate that theatre should be accessible to all, and it’s amazing to see a company not only be vocal about that but put action into making it happen. 

*I was asked to watch and review this show, but all thoughts and opinions in this piece are not influenced at all and are entirely my own*

Show: The Silence and the Noise
Writer: Tom Powell
Director(s): Rachel Lambert & Elle While
Venue: Online – accessible theatre!
Rating: ★★★★

An original story from Tom Powell – who actually won a Papatango Prize in 2021 for this very play – and under Rachel Lambert and Elle White’s directions, The Silence and The Noise is a dark glimpse into the lives of two teens, Ben and Daize – a drug runner and the daughter of an addict – who have been forced to grow up and deal with things far beyond their capabilities, and far sooner than they should ever have to. 

The script, courtesy of Powell. is a cleverly crafted blend of poetic text, sad truths and pockets of innocence that can still be glimpsed within the two characters, all pulled together in a moving manner. Furthermore, all of this makes Ben and Daize’s situations even more moving, upon slowly hearing what they’re having to cope with so young and the childhoods they should still be having yet can’t. So much can be found within the text about the influence people can have on those so young, how much they can be affected and their lives altered just because some people know the right words to say and actions to display, which ultimately can change lives – for both better and worse – yet at no expense or consequences to them themselves. This all makes for a really powerful and impactful piece of theatre.

Ben and Daize are the only two characters we meet face to face, and are excellently portrayed by William Robinson and Rachelle Dierdericks. They’ve mastered the art of displaying two people who have been thrown together due to circumstances; they start off with a clear dislike to each other, and have been able to demonstrate through both through the text and acting choices how the albeit unconventional relationship between the two slowly grows. I found it quite heart-warming seeing the pair become a crutch for each other as they are there for each other in this situation neither wants to be in, but have no choice. The natural chemistry between the two is palpable and works well at winning audiences on side. Their vulnerabilities that shine through in their performances make it near impossible to not have your heart go out to them. 

Robinson gives a touching performance as Ben, displaying the exhaustion that comes with being drawn into being a drug runner at such a young age, at being involved with such dark and imposing figures, and the impact it’s having on him by bleeding into his daily life and making everything much harder and more complicated for him than it should ever be. His acting choices really portray this internal battle he’s having in a emotive and effective way.

Dierdericks as Daize is heartbreaking and she has brought layers of depth to the character; at face value Dierdericks shows us this tough character who has been forced to look out for and after herself because no one else can, with moments when we see her let Ben in and displays her softer, more vulnerable side when her guard is lowered – the exhaustion she is experiencing and the longing to have someone else take care of her.

These are really complex characters with a lot to them and yet the pair have brought them to life in a way that feels authentic and believable and makes their stories and therefore performances that much more moving. At the end of the day they’re just kids who have been caught up in a dark and scary situation for both of them, where they have both everything and nothing to lose. It’s actually quite sad that under different circumstances, Ben and Daize could have had a beautiful relationship together and normal lives, yet the circumstances they’ve found themselves in make this feel almost impossible. With their natural chemistry and acting choices throughout, Robinson and Dierdericks have perfectly portrayed this battle and the hope and longing and sadness their characters are experiencing. 

The Silence and the Noise is told across a period of time through which we see Ben and Daize get pulled further into this dangerous and scary situation that is far bigger than them; this narrative type of a slow build up, painting a picture of the situation these characters have found themselves in doesn’t feel drawn out but rather a skilful decision that works to bring an added level of intrigue to the piece and is really interesting to see the relationship between the two grow gradually. There is also a real feel of intimacy to The Silence and The Noise; we learn more slowly as the piece progresses by watching our two characters in the garden of a house; this singular setting aids to the feel of watching a live theatre production and it is easy to imagine how the piece would be on a stage in real time. This staging and cinematography feels like as an audience member, we’ve intruded on their personal discussions which reveal so much through the clever and absorbing script. Furthermore, to an extent, audiences have to somewhat read between the lines to piece together the full extent of the story; this is masterfully done in a way that is clever but still makes the story easy to follow and understand. 

Despite the show only having 2 performers within, the text is artful in the way it brings characters to life we never even meet, only hear about. What happens off screen and is only heard about is just as impactful as what we do see on screen. With there only being two people in this performance, Robinson and Diedericks’ captivating performances and raw emotion combined with a compelling script creates an insightful piece of theatre. This all makes The Silence and the Noise an absorbing play that is able to keep audiences attention throughout.

In a world where new theatre should be championed, The Silence and the Noise is a clear example of why. This is a powerful piece covering dark and complex themes and a plethora of emotions in an honest way that does not shy away. It is a piece of theatre that is honest, heartbreaking, emotive, hopeful, sorrowful and thought-provoking. It is the a piece of theatre that made me think, feel and have a glimpse into lives different than my own. The Silence and the Noise left me thinking about the story and characters for long after I had finished watching, which in my opinion, is a testament to what is a fantastic piece of theatre. 

A big thank you to Tom Powell and Pentabus Theatre for reaching out to me to make me aware of this show, and asking me to watch and review it. It was a pleasure to do so. (It’s always nice when you watch something and have no issues writing about it!).

The Silence and the Noise is available to stream now. You can watch it (for free!)  here: pentabus.co.uk/silence-noise

You can find out more about Pentabus theatre here: https://pentabus.co.uk/