It is 2025 and the world is in a state of emergency with droughts and flooding around the planet. Two twentysomething half-sisters in north London argue between action and inaction in the face of it. They are harbouring a Syrian refugee, doing all they can to resist the draconian laws against refugees and learning Arabic from their houseguest.
Just one of the under-developed strands in Misha Levkov’s debut might make a play in itself. In Vicky Moran’s production, the dystopia outside remains a blur. The younger sister, Laura (Carlie Diamond), speaks of activism, and losing her mother to the cause, but the details remains vague. Older sister Anna (Anya Murphy) is a Buddhist and has lived in a monastery which she mentions in every other sentence. Their father is selling the house out of financial necessity and brings an estate agent around but this goes nowhere.
The biggest plotline comes with Laura’s plan to mark out an area in the neighbourhood with string where people can come together. It is based on the Jewish concept of the eruv, she says, and refers to Hegel’s philosophy as well. She argues her case at a public meeting at which a councillor vetoes her scheme, but throws in some Hegel too.
Only the refugee, Hala (Suzanne Ahmet), has signs of being a flesh and blood character. “My mother saved your life,” says Laura arrogantly, caught in her own white saviour complex. “I saved myself,” says Hala who speaks of being too worn out to show gratitude to the privileged family that has taken her in. This might have been more fully explored but instead there are brief interrogation scenes with Hala and an immigration officer who speaks in hackneyed phrases.
However big its ambition and well-meaning its intention, this play is filled with abstruse philosophical arguments in lieu of drama and the characters act as mouthpieces for arguments on community and action. The performances are largely static and unconvincing, perhaps as a result. As a debut, In the Net contains passion but it has been staged without enough clarity or craft.
At Jermyn Street theatre, London, until 4 February
