In the small surroundings of Bar Lane Studios, Takeover played host to Quicksand which was written by Matthew Midgley and directed by Ruby Clarke. The drama was set in the 2003 Iraq War and followed the relationships and tensions around the central characters led by Magic (Luke James). Although a fictionalised account, ex-soldier Midgley undoubtedly¬¬¬ pulled on past experiences as a serviceman to add layers of technical lingo and flesh out the characters of the piece.
Much of the script relied on the execution of arguments between the central characters and thus relied on the strength of the directing and the actors involved. The cast performed amicably and seemed convicted and enthusiastic in their roles, which added a severity to the script and situation. Si Jennings (Sam Thorpe-Spinks) embodied a hope of the ending of the war while still simultaneously upholding a cynical and pessimistic outlook, which by the end of the play I was convinced was the mouthpiece of the writer. Cat (Katie MacIntyre) was a hard female Scottish soldier who was played without caricature and tended to be the butt of many sexist jokes leveled at her by the male soldiers, especially the young and somewhat naïve Youngy (Jake Botterell).
One of the greatest strengths of Quicksand was, without doubt, the staging. The small basement venue at Bar Lane 
Studios added to the claustrophobia which pervaded throughout the show and added to the moments of tension. It also added a level of intimacy between the audience and actors, with no line lost through and everyone watching couldn’t do anything but be engaged throughout. The use of verbatim press and new reports from the time (mixed with some fictionalised ones added for comedic value) as segues between scenes worked well and kept the tension in places while relieving it in others.
To sum up Quicksand is an honest and, at times, brutal account of the Iraq War by an ex-soldier. It seemed a heartfelt piece written by Matthew Midgley, even if I found the last monologue somewhat too preachy. Nevertheless, with considered directing from Ruby Clarke, the war was dissected and its true nature revealed to the audience. This was definitely a show which left people with a lot to talk and think about as they left the military instalments in the Middle East and returned to the cold York streets.