Published 20th January 2026
Review of The Incident
A Matthew Musings review of The Incident.
Domestic abuse. 8.0% of adults aged 16 and over experienced domestic abuse in the last year (equating to 3.9 million people). This is the subject matter that M6 Theatre Company’s film ‘The incident’ focuses on, specifically aimed at young people and teenagers to make them aware of the signs of an unhealthy relationship and the different forms it can take. This text follows Blake (Noah Fox) and Erin (Tia Larsen) as they fall in love with each other and we see how their relationship evolves as time proceeds. Unlike other films that I have covered, this films content finds its origin as a school production.
This educational performance was shown at schools is order to make young people and teenagers aware of what healthy and unhealthy relationships may look like. This is important because young people are just beginning that first step into romanticism and it is imperative they have the knowledge and awareness to know when a relationship they have involved themselves it turns into something restrictive or negative. During the performance, to ensure the young people understand what they are viewing and learning, there were periods in which questions are proposed to the audience. These questions involve inquisitions such as ‘Is it safe to meet someone you’ve only met online?’ and ‘Are Blake and Erin happy?’. These types of questions would be asked after each scene to consolidate lessons learnt. Something to note here, though, is the ability given to the audience to offer suggestions on how to improve this scene for the characters in order for the relationship between Erin and Blake to improve. This really shows young people that they have that choice and gives them confidence if they are to find themselves in this situation. However, this audience interaction will not be possible with this production in film form.
Instead of the actors and a producer hosting the performance and these discussions, teachers at schools will have to spearhead the conversions instead as the film contains convenient points to pause and discuss. One of reasons this production was transformed into film is because the M6 Theatre team could not tour the country and, with the rising costs in the UK, it was getting expensive to travel these distances. With the performance being digitalised, though, the awareness of healthy relationships could be spread on a wider scale. It is possible to state that spreading awareness is more important than the live experience, even if it is just by a small margin. Young people may also be able to connect to a cinematic version better than its theatrical version due to this generation being more technologically driven and the characters being seen in a real setting such as bedrooms and the streets.
This is where the film begins, on the streets of Rochdale. This is where we meet Erin and Blake alongside a voiceover in which the characters introduce themselves and the viewer discovers that the two characters are having constant conversations with each other. This is followed by a scene in which a split screen is utilised to show the pair texting each other. At the beginning of this scene, Erin mentions that they are both share many interests. This is brilliantly reflected in the pictures depicting the blue-haired fictional character Jinx. Erin also mentions that she is into drawing fictional characters and the picture of Jinx (artwork by Holly Copping) on her side the screen follows suit. All this really adds to the immersion and continuity as the viewers instantly know not only from the dialogue but also visually that the two characters are in rapport with each other. From texting each other, they decide to meet in person.
This is where the cinematographer Mark Farrimond began to flex his shot-taking muscles. From lens flares to great two shots, as seen in the image above, this scene makes Rochdale look great which itself is something to be proud of. Neither of the characters dominate the shot and the sun is representative of their bright future. A great scene showing the connection between these two characters. This point is re-enforced when the kindness artwork outside the Regal Moon is used as a subtle message for young people; simple kindness goes a long way. However, this kindness will be broken when a £50 note is given to Blake to which he decides to show his puffer-jacketed partner.
Here, Blake is distraught at the fact that Erin has yet to tell her family about their relationship; Blake feels belittled when he thinks that he is not important to her. The dialogue in this scene is snappy and one can see to a great extent to which the actor’s speech bounces off each other and flows well. In terms of the purpose of this film, this scene is the first sign of an unhealthy relationship between the two. This is very clear as the script and acting makes this point extremely explicit which is important as it will be easy for young people to understand the emotions being generated here.
These emotions would reach their peak in the next scene, the party scene. Here, I make an appearance (the tall guy in a black jumper) and being on set for this scene and seeing it come to life is an amazing experience. The cast were great to meet, and merits must go to Sean Lovell for such great sound and lighting work but also for holding that mic over our heads for a long period of time. The strive for quality was there in abundance and it really shows in the final product.
Overall, it was great to be a part of the making of this film and its importance is sure to be recognised by young people across the country. From a production in a school theatre space to a film, the difference here is nothing short of excellent. I’m not expecting this film to win awards but it’s a film with a powerful message which can now represent M6 Theatre Company in schools across the UK.
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