The Unspoken

"You will do what you have to in order to survive, and that in itself is noble. Just try to remember that I was doing the same. I was trying so hard to do the same."

~ The Waiter

"The year is 1929.  In the dark underbelly of New York City, the Solitary West speakeasy serves illegal alcohol to anyone who dares knock on its doors. The Unspoken follows an unnamed waiter as he recounts his rise from lowly bartender to one of the heads of the bootlegging trade. But, when his past comes back to haunt him, and his web of lies begins to collapse, he must demonstrate just how far he will go to keep hold of his power. Set against the stark backdrop of American Prohibition and the Great Depression, The Unspoken spins a dark tale about loss, ambition, betrayal, and the fruitlessness of the American Dream."

The Unspoken was something of a passion project for me for almost 2-and-a-half years. I conceptualised the idea back in Drama & Theatre A-level, where we began to create it as a 30-minute short piece of Immersive theatre, designed in the stylings of Punchdrunk. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, the original version was cancelled, and I have documented my experience working on that extensively in this unlisted portfolio entry from a year-or-so ago.

I think the one thing that consistently drew me back to the world of The Unspoken is its characters. Each and every character is fully fleshed out, with distinct personalities and motivations. After numerous failed attempts and iterations, I was finally able to iron out the final few plot issues and produce an 113-page cohesive story spanning several months in time. With my Punchdrunk-based but no-longer immersive design concept in tow, I pitched it to the University of York Drama Society, where it was selected to be their week 8 production in the Spring Term of 2023.

For the design of this show, I really wanted to carry through the original production's Punchdrunk elements. From keeping the scenes deliberately underlit, the small attention to detail with the set, through the immersive sound design and accurate yet expressionistic costumes, every aspect of the show was carefully designed to match the original vision. We even had the bar and accompanying shelves constructed specifically for the show. And it looked incredible! With a fabulous cast and crew, I am immensely pleased with how this project turned out - it was a bizarre experience to see these characters I have so enjoyed writing come to life on-stage, and, despite having seen it a million times, I still thoroughly enjoyed each and every run!