How do you stage a catastrophe that killed thousands on an intimate studio stage? Rather than attempting a sweeping recreation of the 1984 Bhopal disaster, when toxic gas leaked from a chemical plant in the Indian city, Titas Halder’s Darkling, now playing at the Bush Theatre, takes a far more personal approach. Instead of depicting the spectacle of disaster, the play tells the story through the eyes of one survivor, tracing its devastating consequences through one person’s lived experience.
The story opens well before the tragedy. Our central character is a young girl growing up with her father and sister in Bhopal. Played with total commitment by Linnea Berthelsen, she remains nameless, as do her family and many of the other people she encounters. They represent the nameless victims of corporate negligence driven by profit, giving a voice to those whose stories might otherwise have been forgotten.
We first meet her in early childhood, where poverty is tempered by the warmth of her bond with her sister. “We live in a dump,” she observes casually, while dreaming of riding bicycles, owning an electric fan and travelling by train. Her journey into early adulthood is unremittingly tough, softened only briefly by a teenage romance that her father abruptly forbids. Her sister leaves the family after being forced into an unhappy arranged marriage, adding another layer of loss to an already difficult life.
Then the skyline transforms. The arrival of an American chemical plant is initially greeted with optimism, bringing jobs, prosperity and a sense of local pride. “The factory is going to be world famous,” the girl predicts in a chillingly prophetic remark. When the fateful night of the gas leak finally arrives, Darkling shifts its focus from the immediate horror of the disaster to its long, poisonous aftermath and the impact it has on the girl and her family.
Carrying a solo 90-minute show is a formidable task, but Linnea Berthelsen delivers an energetic and engaging performance that makes Darkling work. Playing every figure in her orbit, she commands the stage almost uninterrupted. There is a lovely, natural innocence to her depiction of youth that never feels exaggerated, while her transitions between characters are skilfully judged. Subtle shifts in voice, posture and gesture are enough to establish who we are watching. As the story becomes darker, so does her performance. The contrast between the warmth of the early family scenes and the devastation that follows is particularly striking.
Titas Halder’s writing is at its strongest when it concentrates on the personal. There are genuinely touching moments as we get to know the family, while occasional flashes of humour ensure the play isn’t simply ninety minutes of unmitigated misery. Even so, I would have welcomed a few more lighter moments in the first part of the play. They would have provided greater balance and made the contrast with the harrowing material in the latter half even more striking.
Matthew Xia’s direction keeps the production visually and emotionally vibrant. A solo performance can easily become static but Xia infuses the staging with constant movement and transformation. The pacing is well judged, allowing the relatively lighter early sections to gradually give way to a growing sense of unease. There is a real sense that something terrible is approaching, making the eventual arrival of the disaster all the more unsettling.
What makes Darkling particularly striking is its insistence that catastrophes like Bhopal do not simply end when the immediate crisis is over. Although the tragedy occurred more than forty years ago, its effects continue to be felt, giving the play a relevance that extends far beyond the events of 1984. Questions of corporate accountability, environmental safety and the value placed on human life remain as pertinent as ever.
Darkling is not an easy watch, nor should it be, but it is much more than a play about tragedy. At its heart is a deeply human story of family, childhood, loss and survival. Linnea Berthelsen delivers a remarkably assured performance, while Titas Halder and Matthew Xia have created a production that succeeds in making a huge historical event feel personal and immediate. It is a powerful reminder that behind every statistic are individual lives and stories, and sometimes telling just one of those stories is enough to make us understand the enormity of them all.
