The Circle

The circle aims to capture the oeuvre of Lovecraftian horror and the text pays clear homage to the famous writer. The play is aptly named The Circle, which refers to the wider body of authors whose writing operated in the Lovecraft realm. O’Brien explores the ways in which their apocalyptic themes are transferred into the gaming world. This is shown as a sphere which easily absorbs the violence and doom suggested by the wholesale destruction that is anticipated by such dismal views of humanity. 

The idea is well worth exploring in a theatrical context but it is a tall order. The action revolves around the gaming exploits of Hugo (Jack O’Brien) and Lance (Luke Peverelle). In a somewhat thwarted effort to rescue humanity from itself the two young gamers concoct a plan that will bring the world to its inevitable end. The story is part incantation and part ludology but the two characters are very locked into their own idiosyncratic universe which can have the effect of excluding the audience. The fear they experience from the impending disaster which looms over them is rarely transferred to the audience. 

The staging of this text requires a greater level of sophistication and although there are some clever elements, including eerie lighting and ghoulish characters, these need to be sustained much more throughout the piece. The play warrants greater exploration of the fatalistic and bleak philosophies that are referenced in order to go beyond the portrayal of two infantile gamers who appear to have merely lost their way. 

Patricia Di Risio

Photographer: Jakob Haskara