by Daisy Guilor, Second Year Business and Management with Innovation
A child has been murdered; his devout Christian mother, the sole suspect.
In an emotionally charged production that blurs reality and fantasy, Montague Austin transports the audience into a 1974 Arkansas police precinct where a gripping psychological investigation unfolds, using the suspect’s own mind to determine the cause of her child’s mysterious death, leaving the audience questioning the reliability of perception and the moral ambiguity of justice.
Billie (Isolde Small) and June (Kate Wells) investigate the homicide of Robert Dawson (Oli May) using June’s psychic abilities to tap into the mind of Robert’s mother, Caroline (Izzy How), to recall the afternoon on which she was the sole carer for her son until he was found dead in his cot.
The integration of psychic abilities and the biblical creation narrative add a unique layer to the familiar murder mystery format. The play opens with Billie’s monologue, mirroring The Gospel of John: ““God said let there be light”, and there was light. God saw the light was good and he separated the light from the darkness” Beginning the play with the creation story casts a sacred atmosphere over the bleak set, only to be interrupted by the human tragedy which unfolds.
June’s visionary powers are indispensable at the police precinct, forcing suspects to reveal their truth. However, travelling into the minds of killers comes with an emotional toll – she has witnessed many murders of the innocent. Despite being entangled and present in Caroline’s swirling memories, June remains composed, countering Caroline with quiet authority. Billie’s commanding presence cuts through the dizzying psychic interplay of Caroline and June, offering a steady force amid the shifting landscape, while Wells's composed but intense portrayal of June adds subtle layers of empathy to the investigation.
Izzy How's Caroline is a standout. She gives a stern but emotional defence, convincing the audience of her innocence until paranormal methods of discovering the truth are used to expose the vulnerability of motherhood as she is caught between denial and confession. She moves restlessly across the set with agitated gestures and speech which mirrors her inner turmoil. Caroline’s emotional state was portrayed brilliantly as a tender, grieving mother unwilling to give anything away.
We follow Robert from the age of 18 to 21 over the course of Caroline’s visions. His circumstances progress through each meeting with his mother, brilliantly represented by Oli May. In the first vision his tone of voice, body language and expression are indifferent almost unsurprised by the paranormal appearance of his mother. May portrays the degrading effects of age and experience up until the final meeting where his anger and distress reverberate around the space.
Montague Austin takes a minimalistic approach to the set; three chairs, a table and a tape recorder are bleakly illuminated, using light and dark to expose the unsettling complexity of truth, memory and motive. The audience feels the unease. Austin executes the transition into Caroline’s mind using slow, pulsating lights accompanied by a swirling spoken word soundtrack, immersing the audience into her inner world.
The Infant offers a compelling examination of trauma and truth through fragmented memory, psychic visions and evocative staging, the play carves a space between the seen and the unseen, the known and the unknown. Montague Austin doesn’t hand over answers but forces the audience to sit in the discomfort of ambiguity. It’s a haunting piece of theatre which lingers long after the final line.
