A Grain of Sand review

21.01.22

You are faced with four options; to send our young main character Aeden to prison, to let him walk free, to sentence him to death, or to trap him forever watching a simulation of the love of his life slipping away from his grasp.

What would you choose?

At KXT Bakehouse, this is a decision you yourself are forced to make. A simple raising of the hand decides Aeden’s fate. You are no longer a passive bystander to the story. Declan Coyle’s writing forces you to be an active decision-maker in, not just Aeden’s future, but what justice looks like.

A Grain of Sand follows Aeden (Enoch Li), whose girlfriend, Monica (Kelly Robinson), has gone missing. Aeden pleads innocent to any involvement, but “memory can be so fickle…”, as II (Susanna Pang) asserts. Aeden and his sister are haunted by their father, who, whether rightfully or not, was accused of murdering a man, and is subsequently shot by police. Audiences are left in the dark, never knowing the truth behind Aeden’s words or the life of his father.

In a world where phrases like “fake news” are beaten and battered by media outlets, swarming with fear and fallacies, A Grain of Sand is the voice of confusion we feel. It is the embodiment of the questions we face in a modern age; an age of technology and black and white morality. No truer, than when you are instructed to close your eyes, raise your hand and suddenly, Aeden’s fate has fallen into your lap.

In this moment, the public voting booth of the theatre, who opens their eyes? Who keeps them closed? And do you trust those around you? You have no option to see the majority and be swayed by the popular vote – it is entirely your decision.

In some ways, this is unsatisfying, because you’re left with no clear answer; about the majority, about Aeden or his father. It’s not a classic gun-toting Western, where the goodies wear white and the baddies wear black. Aeden wears grey. And in many ways, A Grain of Sand truly represents the real world we live in, because it is grey. We live never knowing objective truth, trapped in a grey area, the same way you leave KXT Bakehouse after watching A Grain of Sand.

In all areas, the passion for this piece is evident. The powerful sound design of Akesiu Poitaha crafts the sci-fi world inhabited, as Sophie Pekblimli’s lighting design pairs perfectly. Kaitlyn Symons’ set and costume design work effortlessly with Diana Paolo Alavarado’s movement direction to bring these characters to life. Margaret Thanos’ direction should be praised for handling such a delicate and thought-provoking piece with ease. And of course, Li, Robinson and Pang were fantastic in their roles, barrelling through high emotions to cold science.

Overall, A Grain of Sand promises future greatness for all those involved.

Parker Craig, 18, (They/Them)

Queen Hades Productions and Panimo’s A Grain of Sand had a five-performance season at Kings Cross Theatre from 20-25 January. Read more about the show here.

Menu