Mottled Lines

‘Mottled Lines is the first play portraying a dramatised account of the London riots, with the advantages of one year’s hindsight’ Stephanie Porter informs me.

Unlike spoken evidence productions such as The Riots, this play doesn’t focus on the disaster itself, but why it happened.

Billed as a play for people who rioted and people who didn’t, Mottled Lines welcomes audiences from all walks-of-life. ‘It’s aimed at anyone who is in-tuned to society and wants an intelligent debate about the riots and why society is so angry’ Stephanie says.

Playwright Archie W. Maddock drew inspiration from all facets of society and culture to create characters accurately depicting five different subdivisions of society. He watched Question Time, studying MP’s carefully crafted words and delivery to create the character The Wolf. For The Thug, Archie summated past experiences, people on the street and friends.

Mottled Lines focuses on the communicative breakdown between these different factions of society. Each archetypal figure is speaking the truth as they see it. These well-developed and diverse characters seek to illuminate reasons behind the riots.

Such a character-based play doesn’t need a fancy stage or props. The Orange Tree theatre, the only theatre-in-the-round in London, seats 172 creating an intimate and at times unsettling relationship between the audience and the characters.  Archie, 23, is a member of Orange Tree Theatre’s Writers’ Group and wrote Mottled Lines with the Orange Tree in mind.

Director Henry Bell considers Mottled Lines message applicable to both historical and future situations. There will be a post-show discussion at Thursdays 12 July matinee (show starts at 2:30). Stephanie believes audiences will leave feeling shocked, scared and intrigued, and at the very least, the premise, plot and staging should make for a thought-provoking trip to the theatre.

Orange Tree Theatre
1 Clarence St, Richmond, Surrey TW9 2SA
020 8940 3633
Costs £12, £10 concs.
Showing  Tuesday 10 – Saturday 14
http://www.orangetreetheatre.co.uk/Showing-Now-Or-Next/