THEATRE / “This Changes Everything” by Joel Horwood, directed by Jordan Best. At The Q until July 30. Reviewed by ARNE FEALING.

“ANIMAL Farm” meets “Lord of the Flies” on an oil rig — with a touch of Utopia thrown in for the thoughtful.

Quite the setting and a wonderful microcosm to set up a social experiment.
This outing from Echo Theatre presents a high-grade theatre experience. It was purely top notch.

Youth theatre working hard to continue a new age for talented performers from the local region, “This Changes Everything” was an exciting show that squeezed the mind into new thoughts.

A question mark around the structure of power and politics, leadership and collective mindsets — the work seemed to notch against classic canonical ideas — analysing Marxist theories against a utopian lifestyle, and obstructions to freedom.

This play cultivates a world separated from a normal existence, hoping to be led by the many, but in reality supported by the few.

The central lesson in any analysis of the corruption of power, particularly when looked at from a socialist perspective, is that a collective hoping to have a common voice invariably becomes corrupted, particularly if the potential to make decisions remains in the hands of a single authoritarian voice.

Propelled by agreed codes, with work being the central currency — the expected struggles around equality, and how to voice individual freedom within a structured environment play out.

Experimenting in how the group would be its own leader, yet keeping the potential to wield final power in the hands of an individual, brings to mind the structures history suffered and succeeded through. Where generally, the General always falls.

The fall of such environments tends to be in the corruption of wealth and power. And this play simulates that experience, without going too deep into the dogged history, or its several literary representations.

An exciting, well produced piece of theatre — Jordon Best worked her cast into a tight crew of on-point performers.

Exciting, funny, curious and able to present the story with all of its clarity, this was a show that required attention. A listening ear was needed to tune in, and an attentive mind required to take heed of the many plot decisions and characters on show. Getting to know each took some time, but once clicked in — the journey on show was stark, intriguing and full of quality at every turn.

Faultless in its acting and production — as everything hovered inside a point of perfection from the first beat until the last, a gentle tightening of pace could have expelled some of its lethargy.  A new concentration on using natural voices on stage, rather than a collective leaning toward “stage” voice, for those who haven’t tried a more Method technique, could have also changed the tone and mindset.

With nothing to stop a profound victory — except for some older folk a rather predictable and generously referenced plot structure, “This Changes Everything” brings audiences to the edge of their awareness, and puts them in their seat for an hour and a half of brilliant theatre. Something to cherish.