Tragedy shatters one life. Revenge may shatter more. A dark, unchecked insanity is brought to the surface in the wake of one accident.
My Eyes Went Dark tells the story of one man’s tragedy after losing his family in a plane crash. He looks for justice and there is none. He looks for solace but there’s none to be found. He looks for someone to blame, and finds a culprit.
Nicolai Koslov, played to perfection by Cal MacAninch, has his life thrown off balance when his wife and two children are killed in an air traffic accident. Thusitha Jayasundera picks up every other character with whom he interacts; his doctor, his lawyer, a child he meets, a fellow mourner. His interactions with these people become more alarming the longer he is sunk into his own grief, until he is at a point of no return, when all he remembers is that ‘me eyes went dark’.
This is not a simple play. Matthew Wilkinson’s script speaks volumes and is executed perfectly by the two actors. Jayasundera’s many characters are flawless and distinct – it is a privilege to watch this woman work. It is a superlative example of exceptional acting confined to two electrifying performances that make the script breathe life, and death.
The story is uncomfortable and gritty and the production visceral and bare. Go into this play prepared; it is not for the faint hearted.
Times: 5-28 August, Varying times
Tickets: £18.50 (£13.50)