Sarah Kane's 1998 play, 'Cleansed,' known for its graphic violence and challenging staging, has been successfully revived at the Almeida Theatre in London under the direction of Rebecca Frecknall. The production is described as potent, moving, and fantastically physical, with its themes of cruelty and human yearning for love resonating intensely.
The play, which was part of an unrealised trilogy on war, features a cast including Leo Bill as Tinker, the visible torturer. Other performers include Parth Thakerar as Rod, Luke Cinque-White as Carl, Jack Riddiford as Graham, Pearl Chanda as Grace, Lizzy Connolly as a peep show dancer, and Stuart Thompson as Robin. The actors are noted for performing the difficult scenarios without awkwardness or melodrama.
Madeleine Girling's stage design evokes a chilling ordinariness, reminiscent of a hidden hallway in a psychiatric ward or prison. The production also incorporates Ingrid Mackinnon's intimacy direction and George Dennis's sound design with Angus MacRae's compositions, blending romance with electric dread.