Fault Lines review, Hampstead Theatre Downstairs

At this time of year TV screens abound with shots of dying African babies covered in flies, and appeals to the public to dig deep. The timing, then, is just right for a look at the way charities cynically manipulate information to elicit the biggest impact, and at the in-fighting between organisations chasing the same cash. Ali Taylor's Fault Lines has an added twist. What happens if, in the rush to be the first on the scene of a disaster, you take a risk on who's getting the money?

It is 8am on Christmas Eve, the morning after Disaster Relief's office party. Abi and Nick emerge in a state of disarray from a tent erected between their work desks. As they try to manage the embarrassment of drunken sex, the office intern arrives to announce an earthquake in Pakistan overnight. Everyone is immediately into overdrive. The first UK charity to provide branded tents to the disaster zone is guaranteed photo exposure across all media. When Abi finds a supplier ostensibly endorsed by Oxfam, who offers instant help, she immediately transfers the last £26,000 in Disaster Relief's coffers to his bank account. Unfortunately, he's a gun runner for the Taliban...

Doing good is not necessarily a function of being good. As the team tries to avert disaster before the boss, Pat, finds out, a number of interesting ethical arguments are built into the storyline. This means we get a lot of process-driven narrative in Fault Lines, but the sexual parrying between Abi and Nick, and the development of the intern, Ryan, help maintain tension.

In conclusion: Fundraising is a cut throat business and it is interesting to have some dramatic illumination into that world. Natalie Dew and Samuel James hit just the right note as Abi and Nick, Nichola McAuliffe is a suitably bewildered Pat, and Alex Lawther who shone as Blakemore in South Downs, again shines here, developing Ryan with understated grace.

References
Hampstead Theatre, Tickets

Hampstead Theatre, Eton Avenue, London NW3 3EU.  Run ends 4 January.