The title of Lucy McIlgorm’s play has a double meaning: refuse as in rubbish, and to refuse, to say no. This drama about a binman in a Ukrainian town on the brink of Russian invasion questions who and what is considered disposable and what it means to take a stand. As affable Maks makes his rounds, he becomes a fixture in the lives of the neighbourhood. When war arrives, his role in maintaining this community takes on a new, horrifying dimension.
As well as writing, McIlgorm performs as glamorous local Yelena alongside Ukrainian actors Vasyl Sydorko, playing Maks, and Maria Shtofa as his wife Valentyna. In Anastazie Toros’s production the three actors also inhabit the other supporting roles, conjuring this threatened place with no more than a door, a wheelie bin and various items of clothing. The show establishes the everyday rhythms of its setting, affectionately depicting the idiosyncrasies of this community in peacetime before it’s blasted apart by war.
Both play and production have ambition that strains against the confines of their tiny studio space. Toros reaches for interesting images and surprising staging choices – sometimes successfully, sometimes awkwardly. There’s certainly treasure here amongst the trash, but it would benefit from further development.
Refuse, Assembly George Square Studios, until 25 Aug (not 13, 19), 11.05am