Little on the inside

Two nameless women share a single cell. For the time being—eight months, three days and counting—these four walls make up their entire world. That might seem a restriction, but these two cellmates find a rare freedom in their confinement. It lets them forget about the outside world and forge a friendship on their own terms. Together, they talk themselves to Paris and imagine sailing trips, and this prison cell becomes both a refuge and a blank canvas.

Clean Break work with female prisoners, so there’s something really admirable in the way that playwright Alice Birch has used her commission to challenge certain clichés of prison life: the boredom, the banality, the aggression. As well as providing a rare, positive perspective on prison life, Birch picks up on its quieter aspects: silent, pensive inmates so often drowned out by noisier types. She writes with an eagle eye for images and a real ear for lyricism. You find yourself repeating choice phrases just to appreciate them again.

Lucy Morrison’s minimalist production fizzes and crackles thanks to two brilliant performances from Sandra Reid and Estella Daniels. Reid is all rage, almost ricocheting off the walls, while in contrast Daniels finds a crisp serenity. Though they complement each other beautifully, Birch reminds us that these women are never in control of themselves: it takes one parole hearing to shatter a friendship, and release can feel like a life sentence.