The Gate Escape aims to explore and confront issues surrounding truancy

Review by the play's author, Mark Wheeller:

"Thank you Horseshoe Theatre for inviting me to your outstanding new production of The Gate Escape … I REALLY enjoyed it!

Toby Parsons directed the play with complete understanding of what I was after and managed to find much more comedy in it than I was ever aware of.

Although there was only a cast of four, the cast doubled up amazingly well and came up with some superb cameo characters … for example Peter Performer (Nick Huntington) made me laugh out loud … the section where the planner is requested was also greeted with much laughter from the two audiences I was part of … clearly something they related well to.

The audience, in the question and answer session following the play, commented on the range amazing faces Alison Larder was able to pull in her cameo roles. It really was an exemplary production in terms of really finding motifs to differentiate the cameo roles.

The two main roles Chalkie (Christopher Tembey) and Corey (Sarah Hunt) were also played brilliantly and again the differentiation of the four characters were well realised. The opening sequence, where they are all there bunking worked particularly well. I loved the way the different truancy stories were incorporated into the opening section and again made hilarious … particularly the blueberry muffin robbery and the motorbike boys.

Unlike Solent People’s Theatre’s version (which split the play into four parts and interrupted it with audience discussions) they ran the play as a whole and in my view it benefited from this … and also allowed me to see it as a complete play. I think it made it easier for the actors to get a hold on the characterisations as well… which benefited the presentation.

Fabulous… and thanks for inviting me. I hope that Horseshoe will decide to make it available to other schools … I know we’d book it down here in Southampton … here’s hoping."

Synopsis
The story centres on two characters who truant. Corey, who claims to be an addict and Chalkie, who views himself as a casual truant with no problem. The play explores their past on the day of their final truant together when they are greeted by a surreal Big Brother like figure who sets them a task. The loser will be in for some dramatic Big Bother... who will lose... what will this bother be?