Involution

In the future, we will all be judged by our genetic code. In the future, someone will have discovered a gay gene, a paedophile gene and a rebellious gene. Those with unsuitable codes may be denied jobs, particularly in the fundamentalist Christian government that rules over all and which Cohen is fighting through the courts. Cohen’s sister Dorcet has a wasting colonic disease and, while she buries her head in the sand, while fellow sufferer Talulah turns to God, Cohen battles against the law prohibiting genetic modification.

The arrival of an old friend and his fiancée triggers the action, forcing self-exploration on the part of Cohen who has to evaluate his motives and take a lesson on cause and effect. Jane Lesley sets the pace as Violet, the government worker with fingers in many pies, though the rest of the cast sometimes struggle to keep up. While the subject matter is thought-provoking in the more poignant scenes, Rachel Welch’s new play suffers from occasionally stilted dialogue. The relationships between the characters, however, are genuine and subtly drawn.

Although Involution does run the risk of attempting to cover too many themes, Mokita Productions is a company with big ideas and the potential to realise them.