BWW Reviews: GROUNDED, Birmingham Rep, September 4 2014

Grounded had its UK premiere at the Gate Theatre Notting Hill last year to critical acclaim, following achieving the 2012 Smith Prize from the National New Play Network in America and a 2013 Fringe First award. George Brant's play is a fast paced monologue delivered by a female F16 fighter pilot who is juggling her military life and her family life.

The Pilot tells of her experiences in the "blue" and how when she fell pregnant, she was moved to Las Vegas to operate drones in the Middle East from the 'comfort' of an air-conditioned trailer in the desert. Lucy Ellinson's delivery of the dialogue is exceptional and every inflection/movement is directed to a fine art by the Gate's Artistic Director, Christopher Haydon. Her struggle in spending 12 hours a day in a unit thousands of miles away from where the action is happening clearly takes a hold of her and the lines get increasingly blurred between the "guilty" and the "innocent" - in this case, her husband and daughter.

The set design by Oliver Townsend is a simple cube with gauze encasing where all of the action takes place. It becomes apparent as the play progresses that this is metaphorical and is all the text needs. Mark Howland's lighting design is portrayed by birdies rigged on the ceiling of the cube. Occasionally when Ellison goes on her knees or crouches, there is the absence of face light but this aside, the birdies are very effective. Upon entering the auditorium, rock music is being played and the soundtrack continues intermittently throughout the dialogue giving it a video game feel, as if it's not quite real.

Grounded is on at the Birmingham Rep Theatre until Saturday 6 September and visits selected venues around the UK until January 2015.