From the moment In A Cave, A Voice began, I was captivated. This new audio play written by Rebekah King highlights the power of a good story. If the tale is powerful enough, the audience really will go anywhere with you, even a damp, dark, and ice-cold cave.
The Pembroke Players from the University of Cambridge transported me back in time thousands and thousands of years to the Neolithic period into the location of a mysterious cave. A guide's voice appears from nowhere, accompanied by gentle humming music: composed by Lily Blundell. Do not move anything in the cave. Do not make the girl angry. Keep one eye on the entrance at all times. My heart beat faster as I anticipated what was going to happen next. Who is this girl? What will happen to me if I do not obey these instructions? Am I safe here in this cave?
In A Cave, A Voice by The Pembroke Players did not need anything but simple colour changes to the image of a cave on screen and the rich sound of Claire Chung’s voice, sometimes accompanied by music, to tell this tale. I felt instantly connected to this Neolithic girl, who we quickly learn was left all on her own as her family underwent a terrifying expedition to find a missing herd, never to return. The audience is her only company, and we pass this period of isolation by listening to the girl's stories about her family, the spirit realm, and The Thing Without A Face: a terrifying monster who will eventually come to take us all.
In A Cave A Voice has sparked my interest in the Stone Age period. Stories echo round the walls of the cave, bouncing off each other: this is a story I'm confident will be told in caves and drama studios alike long after NSDF draws to a close.
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