In The Timeless Walls - Spoiler Free Review

Viewed 29th September 2023

4.5 out of 5 stars

PitchWhite Productions’ latest production ‘In The Timeless Walls’ centres around 5 “strangers” who have abruptly awoken in an inescapable room. After shortly coming to terms that they won’t be getting out, they each begin to convert to different mindsets. While they communally reflect on their past life, their relationships change, and the truth unfolds. In an obscure ending to the show, we find out the room isn’t what it seems.

Written and directed by production company owner, Lochie Daniel, this production begins with 5 lifeless bodies on the stage floor. Surrounding them is a raised platform upstage, and a block of stairs for access. The minimalistic set prevents the actors to hide any insecurities behind the glitz, glamour and spectacles other shows might include.

When talking with Mr. Daniel after the production, he spoke about the concept he drew inspiration from - social experiments, and to a degree, the audience became a part of that social experiment. He speaks about the things the audience experiences throughout the story – the deliberation of every choreographed moment, every blocked movement, every lighting cue, every silent piece, and every word within the dialogue. These elements drew the audience in on every moment, refusing to allow us to break into our own realities. I often found myself glancing at other characters not in focus – not because they were distracting, but to see what they were doing in the background – and it always fitted with its place within the story.

There are no leads in this production, but instead, an ensemble of victims with their own stories to tell that eventually make sense by the time the audience gets home… hopefully.

Genevieve Hudson’s portrayal of Winter as a 16-year-old was as believable as we know water is wet. Shocked to read that she is in fact a secondary school teacher, but then again the inspiration for her character choices may have come from within her classrooms. Wherever it came from, it was believable and made her a likeable character. Special mention to her piece on recounting her years she has lived in reverse – that was one of my highlights.

Margo was the only character I clocked instantly, thinking about the potential character arc we may see with accuracy. Tianna Cooper’s depiction of Margo was something that, as I write, I find it difficult to put into words just how ‘perfect’ the characterisation was to match the arc, and how consistent it was through the entirety of the production – amazing work!

In my opinion, Finn may have been the most difficult character to portray, and I believe that is leaning toward the text that Gwydion Rozitisolds had the opportunity to interpret, believe in and act out. They did a great job at putting out fires, and breaking up the relentless bickering between other characters was a constant. It may be opening night nerves, but there was dialogue throughout the production that they could slow down upon to allow the audience to fully comprehend the magnitude of what is being said. I often remind my casts that the audience is always hearing the story for the first time, and actors need to be convince us it’s their first encounter, not that they’ve been encountering it for the past 3 months.

Olivia Tod as Maisie was perfectly portrayed. My favourite character from the first words spoken – and I don’t know why… Tod’s portrayal of Maisie connected with the audience. Being a paraplegic gave another level of character research to master and Olivia did this so well. Having Maisie present the musical number in the final scene worked brilliantly in twisting the angles of the overall story already presented in a different way to allow the pieces to fit perfectly. I don’t think it would have had the same effect if another character sung this song.

Despite meeting Jasper very briefly at the beginning of the production, we don’t get the opportunity to experience Jarrod Matulick’s acting ability until sometime into the production, but once they are in among the action, it’s easy to forget that they weren’t always on stage with the other four characters. Concreting Jasper into the minds of the audience with less time onstage comes down to hitting us with a bang – and Jarrod did exactly that!

Jarrod Matulick’s music pieces created for this production blended effortlessly into the work presented by various characters throughout the production. Special mention is also needed to Katie Wicker for the lyrics to the finale song that Jarrod wrote the music for. Does this song have a title, and can I get it off Apple Music?

Costume Design by Makala Modra was simple, yet effective in informing the audience immediately some surface layered characteristics about those we meet on stage – Maisie is elderly, Winter is a teen, and Margo has a punk-rock attitude. There were a couple of unexpected stage effects toward the end, which were appreciated.

Producing an original piece carries risks that are often eliminated when producing a well-known production – what if nobody understands what’s going on? What if it doesn’t convey to the audience? What if they feel disconnected to what’s happening? Mr. Daniel took these questions - and risks - and worked them into the story, expecting audiences to feel uneasy about the action, but also intrigued enough to work out what exactly was happening.

Overall, PitchWhite Productions have created a piece for the intelligent, for the problem solvers that relish the chance to try the newest Escape Room opening in Adelaide, but at the same time, for those that appreciate family values and can find a connection with a character or two. The very talented cast and crew should be incredibly proud of what they have created as an ensemble. It was obvious that connections were genuinely created in the rehearsal room to portray for audiences.