Time of Your Life - REVIEW

‘Time of your Life’ is a short play made for television by the production company Gecko that follows an unnamed protagonist going through an increasing alienating cycle of life, commenting on the artificiality of life (especially in these modern times) as it exists around us through the use of various techniques. 

The play was vehemently fast-paced, and the contrast between strange, energetic physicalisations of the ensemble as compared to the protagonist’s weary, tired demeanour draws the audience in from the start, albeit in a disorienting manner due to surreal happenings like his ‘birth’ where he is wrapped up in plastic. It is revealed to the audience in the end that what they experienced for the first twenty minutes was actually a ‘show’ put on for the protagonist; the reality of the set with no ceilings, stage light fixtures and production staff is shown causing a Brechtian effect on the protagonist, likening to an existential crisis within real life. It is therefore not alienating for the audience, since we are empathising with the protagonist, only serving as onlookers to the effect of a rude awakening on him.

The most wondrous aspect of the play was the set and the way it evolved as the play progressed. The progression through the doors and the blood red ‘waiting rooms’ employed added to the surreal nature of the play, that causes a mild discomfort within the viewer that served to emphasise the message appropriately. The use of the lens of the camera to alter the perspective of the set throughout the play and crystallise the doubts instilled by the hint of Brecht in the scenes in the ‘Time of Your Life Show’ was extremely innovative. It is perhaps this that sets this play apart from the others and makes it a unique viewing experience: no element of the play is lost when viewing it in a video format, since it is designed to be viewed on the screen. The way the limitations of the format are used to augment the experience, add depth to the intention of the play are what makes it a viewing pleasure. 

The ensemble acting was energetic and exactly what was needed as a foil to the tired, world-weary demeanour of the protagonist. With exuberant, surrealistic physicalisation, their acting gave the play a propulsive, fearful pace that is scarily reminiscent of urban life. The flat characterisation of the ensemble enhanced the surrealistic and artificial aspects of the play, which again served to convey the broader themes of artificiality and disillusionment that the directors intended to.

A refreshing element that provided the spark required to drive the otherwise weary protagonist forward was the character of his wife. The only character in the ensemble who was developed to any extent, she provided motivation for the protagonist in a meaningless progression through life, evident through brighter costume choices and more realistic physicalisation. These small pearls of hope placed sparingly throughout the play until the end where it culminates in the climax is fresh; the foreshadowing of hope in a bleak world as compared to the opposite keeps the audiences stimulated.

The play within a play concept, often utilised as a comedic trope (to the point of banality sometimes) was given a refreshingly new spin. Brechtian techniques were employed: the lighting and the progression through the doors served the role to not distance the audience, but instead the protagonist whom the audience empathised with. His emotions of bewilderment, fatigue regarding life echo within the audience: only the ensemble is alienated by the use of unnatural, frantic  pacing. 

The soundtrack conveyed emotion where the lack of dialogue failed to, a stark reflection of the mental state of the protagonist. The lack of any lyrics (except an opera in a foreign language) also served the same effect as the lack of coherent dialogue: with no ‘voice’ present it made the audience feel the  true depth of the isolation the protagonist felt. The harmonic, melodic richness of the sound within the show as compared to the rhythmic propulsion of the drum solo in the climax effectively emphasised the importance of the scene and the loss of immersion that the protagonist feels.

I found that the play is effective in conveying the effects that the franticness of modern life can have on a person, as well as larger existential questions such as the pointlessness of routine and the cycle of life, especially in the climax where the protagonist finds that what he experienced was an illusion. A hopeful ending is present, which prevents the play from becoming too inaccessible, and therefore unenjoyable. The last shot of them emerging from the building causes the viewer to render the play in a different light. The image is almost akin to the metaphor of Plato’s cave, escaping the flat world inside the building into the open, the city lights bubbling in the distance, casting the urbane jungle in a more positive perspective.