Emma begins a relationship with Daren, her colleague, but the internal rules of the company where they work prohibit romantic and sexual ties between employees.
Mike Bartlett's "Contractions" is a sharp and darkly comic exploration of power dynamics, workplace culture, and personal autonomy. Set in a sterile office, the play revolves around a series of increasingly invasive meetings between Emma, an employee, and her unnamed supervisor. The latter interrogates Emma about her personal relationships, closely examining how they might affect her performance at work, under the guise of company policy. The opening is icy, heavy. When “the” manager, who will never be named, is intrusive to the point of cynicism, Emma submits... until when? The office table - the 3rd person - manages the distance. As the meetings intensify, the boundaries between work and private life blur, revealing the frightening extent of corporate control.
These are not caricatures, but rather a double reading of the corporate world. The hierarchical relationship disappears in the face of corporate strategy. Is “the” manager the company?
With its minimalist setting and sharp dialogue, "Contractions" offers a critique of modern capitalism, exposing the dehumanizing effects of bureaucratic systems.
