by Euan Vincent

Last night, I scribbled something in my notebook: ‘all guards; all refugees.’ The thought occurred to me as I was sitting in the darkened stalls of the National Theatre, taking-in Amit Lahav’s latest production, Kin.

Two groups of refugees traverse dusty landscapes, naked hostilities, and heartless bureaucracy in the pursuit of safety. This is experiential theatre at its best told through beautiful movement, an exquisite soundtrack, and intelligent lighting. The production’s ability to highlight the dissonance between the everyday of border guard life and the emotional swell of those in their ‘care’ was at times cinematic.

Multiple languages are spoken but the solely English-speaking audience has little understanding. This places us directly in the shoes of those forced into a foreign land. Obfuscation through a lack of shared language universalises the plight of refugees. This allows us to focus on our shared humanity, whilst simultaneously depriving refugees a large part of their identity.

Later in the production, we witness the need for assimilation. To be accepted, one must renounce one’s identity. As one refugee dons whiteface to party with a group of guards, I return to my initial thought – ‘all guards, all refugees’.

In this production, Gecko combines a deep appreciation of what it means to be a refugee with attuned knowledge of meaning-making in theatre, and an ability to break the divide between the spectator and spectated. It’s a must see for all those who wish to control our borders.

Kin runs through 27 January.

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