Review: The Barwell Prophecy, theSpace @ Venue

By David Pollock
Published on 09/08/2012 13:38

In A cold, dark church crypt in a small American city, Homeland Security operatives Daniel and Frank monitor online comment pages for clues to a sect of minor homegrown religious fanatics.

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While Daniel is diligent in the face of this boring work – which is a little too closely matched to his own personality – the brash Frank is disparaging. “The first time I meet one that can spell,” he says of the paranoid public commentariat, “then I’ll worry.” Their colleague Agent Dodds has found an unnerving sound file she’d like them to investigate, but Frank is more keen that she be sent away on some spurious excuse before “agent groupies” Lyla and Barb turn up for a late-night date. “Tell them we work for the ‘something Islamic’ desk,” he implores.

Slippery Rock Theatre, and writer and director David Skeele, have created a work that’s well-acted and convincingly staged. What’s a little unsatisfying, is that the early political edge and the undercurrent of sexual discriminatory antagonism between Frank and Dodds is no more than a bit of window dressing for what amounts to a reasonably entertaining Blair Witch Project analogue.

Until 11 August. Today 10:30pm.