Another Paradise

There is an annoying tendency among political theatre-makers to be so convinced of their arguments that they neglect to present them in an interesting way. Such unreflective laziness cripples this debut production of Sayan Kent's Another Paradise which, in the quest to drive home its message, forgets the need for good theatre to stand on its own merits.

In a dystopian future in which Britain has adopted a complicated and faulty system of biometric ID cards, citizens run the risk of having their identities snatched away, bought or lost. In an age of social networking sites, supermarket consumer databases and, of course, the current governments proposals for a biometric database, it is an interesting premise.

Sadly, some decent performances fail to lift a script that is remarkable in the crashing crudity of its message. By taking the form of a quaint farce, the play struggles to allow its themes to emerge in any interesting way. This is a great shame, as, ultimately, Kent does a disservice to the important cause she attempts to promote.

clubWEST @ Quincentenary Hall, 527 1562, until 25 Aug, 4.45pm, £12 (£9).