Oil City takes you on a short journey around the City of London in a group of 6, guided by the lawyer who is trying to expose the Canadian government’s involvement in the tar sands exploitation in Alberta, Canada. This immersive piece sets the audience on a journey to find evidence on wrongdoing, meeting journalists, listening on meetings between executives and bankers and also activists from local people affected by the activities. It is clever to set the piece around a busy City during the day, meaning starting times available are 9am, 1pm and 5pm. And the scene setting in a car being driven around is a good idea to hold the audience’s attention for some of the briefing. However, the small cast (and small budget) means they play multiple roles and it is at times confusing as to who they are playing and makes it a little difficult for suspension of disbelief. Also, the nature of these busy public location means it is difficult to hear all the information. Nonetheless, it is a good attempt at weaving a narrative through what is a real and important issue and a good platform to present the case.
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