The Tragic Trajectory of Callum and Sephy
Examiners reward students who can explain how the actors guide the audience through the plot using empty space. In the Cooke adaptation, Callum and Sephy frequently step out of the timeline to act as Narrators. You must write about how they use direct address and physical theatre to bridge the gaps between scenes.
Click the timeline nodes to track the plot and see how the RSC's minimalist staging evolves.
The play opens with Callum (a Nought) and Sephy (a Cross) as childhood friends meeting secretly. They are naive to the brutal reality of their segregated world, imagining they can simply run away together without consequence.
Because the set is totally minimalist, the actors must create the beach environment using physical theatre and mime, relying on their posture and relaxed proxemics to show their natural bond in the empty space.