Chloe (Lisa Day) finds herself in prison and her husband Mark (Roger Beaumont) is beside himself with worry and is struggling to understand how she got herself involved with it all. However, Chloe isn’t forthcoming with all the information and it soon becomes clear that she isn’t backing down and that she is not disclosing all the facts to him.
The passion and principles are reignited in Chloe when she attends a protest with her son Joe (Sam Ebner-Landy). As a protester at Greenham Common back in the early 1980’s she reminisces about how she loved the strong sense of belonging with like-minded people and realises that she missed it. After all once a protester you “Can’t Kill the Spirit” and stop being true to yourself.
Unfortunately, she finds herself caught up in a serious situation after driving a group of protesters to a place where they planned to break in and raise awareness for their cause.
With the seriousness of the upcoming trial, the press are keen to get a story and are all over her family for any comments they will make. Chloe is becoming a hero and is referred to as “Campaign Chloe”. Which proves too much for Mark and his behaviour becomes desperate in trying to change her direction.
Staging is stripped back to two/three chairs and a table. Showing the minimalism inside the prison meeting room. However, the setting isn’t the important part of the play. Everything is focused on the intense conversations between Chloe and Mark and Chloe and Joe. You become drawn into the situation and I saw a lot of Chloe in my own principled determination when I trulybelieve in something.
Between the four scenes, a series of photos is projected onto the back wall on the left-hand side of the stage. It shows nostalgia photos of the Peace camp women at the Greenham Common protests and more recent ones that have taken place in London. 30 thousand women were involved in the anti-nuclear protest back in the 1980s.
An absolute must-see play for anyone who stands by their principles regardless of the consequences.
For more information about Can’t Kill the Spirit and future productions at Waterloo East Theatre please use the link below.
Four and a half Stars.
Photo credit Robert Vass.
Theatre, Art and Film Reviews 
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