Four men awake to find themselves trapped in an electrified cage. None of them know each other or why they were imprisoned. A disembodied voice forces them to make the ultimate sacrifice – for one of the group to be killed. How can they make this choice in 44 minutes?

The script, written by 17-year-old Lev Steinberg, is nail-biting from the start with the tension being escalated throughout by the men’s differing views of their dilemma and their increasing antagonism towards each other. Different personalities are delineated and made to clash against each other, with a mild-mannered older store owner pitted against a younger, more aggressive black ex-cop, who wants to thin out the weakest member, a young college student who is bewildered between the two, and the aforementioned ‘weakest’ man.

This mysterious, seemingly amnesiac, character alternates between screaming in agony on the floor and desperately trying to regain his lost memories. Arguments about who deserves to kill and be killed abound, within which is made the cogent point that humans are little different from animals.

The four leads all give very strong performances, complimenting and playing off each other with ease. Christopher Ryan as the enigmatic fourth man has the most difficult role to pull off, going from primal animalistic screaming to articulate desperation as he scrambles to justify his existence and find his identity whilst hinting at something darker within him.

The minimalist staging enhances the writing and performances, with simple wire fencing, lighting, and sound design all that’s needed to sell the setting and keep the attention on the actors and dialogue.

However, it’s the climax that really makes the production, bringing the concept of justice into play in a manner that perfectly links into the prevailing conflict throughout the beginning and middle sections.

As a whole, 44 Minutes is an impressively assured debut that raises important questions through the strength of its writing and performances. Steinberg’s talent for creating a work of this depth at such a young age marks him out as a name to watch out for in future.

44 Minutes is at Front Room at Assembly @ St Andrew Square until Sun 30 Aug 2026