Minotaur Theatre’s creative writing slot this year was This is Not A Drill, written by Joseph McCloskey, who additionally co-directed alongside Amira Hollis. I watched the opening night performance, on Thursday 3rd October 2024. 

The play features three soldiers, Sid Winston (Jessica Knight), Tómas Jude (Anthony Rolf-Atkinson) and Brutus McCarther (Finn Kennedy MacMillan) stationed in an underground bunker when one of them witnesses a nuclear strike. With uncertainty over if there really was a bomb, they are placed in a Schrödinger’s Cat style scenario. Trapped underground, tensions begin to rise between the trio.  

This was very cleverly written, with well paced realisations for the audience to uncover throughout. All three performed brilliantly, and we got a chance to get to know each character individually over the course of the play. 

Whilst entering, the audience members are immersed immediately, with Sid and Brutus centre stage playing a game of cards. This worked for the setting of the play within a bunker, as the audience feels part of the action and trapped in with them.  

Some highlights include the use – and lack – of lighting, which help to raise the stakes and create close moments between characters. I found the moments in which torchlight was used very effective in grabbing and pinpointing the audience’s attention to the action on stage. Later on, combining darkness with the offstage sound of drilling increased my intrigue and grabbed my attention. 

Music was key throughout the performance, with multiple moments discussing music, or actors dancing. This lifted the tone for the audience. The play acts as a reminder of the importance of entertainment to both human nature and during difficult times.  

Comedy also aided in lifting the mood without being overdone. Amusing moments of nervous laughter for the audience were well placed at times that might otherwise have felt upsetting or too shocking.  

The actors remained onstage as the audience exited. This gave a sense of uncertainty for audience members as the left, mirroring the Schrodinger’s Cat dilemma and discourse over if it was safe to leave the bunker. The play does leave you with questions, and so the ending could have felt unsatisfying; but the cyclical use of music, the repeated conversation about punk music, and just enough of the intriguing questions answered still left me with a sense of completion.  

Overall, this show was a great start to the year for Minotaur, and I look forward to what they will get up to over the rest of the year. 

Photo Credit: The Minotaur Theatre Company