Phil

• "He's dead. Everyone thinks he's dead. What difference does it make?" - Phil


  Confirms Phil's moral decay
• “I‘m in charge. Everyone is happier. What‘s more important: one person or everyone”

  -Phil

  Suggests the moral decay of the group

  Phil justifies the group's actions by evaluating the net happiness of the outcome - Totalitarian/Utilitarian Ideas
• "If you don't help us, we'll kill you." - Phil


  Phil completely disregards Brian's feeling towards the entire situation

  Utilises threat of violence to exploit the weaker members of the group, eg. Brian and Leah
• "we'll swing you onto the grille...You'll land on Adam's corpse and you'll rot together" - Phil


  Graphic imagery

  Disturbing insight into Phil's perception of the situation

  Sadistic behaviour

  Phil's actions can be linked to that of a sociopath: limited conscience and manipulative behaviour
• "Leah?

  Leah?" - Phil


  Loss of comfort and stability that Leah provides
• "please keep up, I'm making this up as I go along" - Phil


  Paints a disturbing image of Phil: first introduction into his personality of him conveniently coming up with a plan to cover up a murder

  Conveys his intelligence

  Plot portrays Phil as a sinister, morally dead character
• "do not touch the jumper" - Phil

  "that will be a DNA nightmare" - Phil


  Imperative verbs

  Authoritative and commanding language

  Audience's first insight into Phil's level of unspoken intelligence

  While the other characters are presented as tentative and unsure, Phil is portrayed as calm, collected and calculated
• Phil puts his Coke carefully on the ground - Stage directions


  Kelly refers to this as Phil's biggest mistake

  This moment marks the pivotal moment in the play in which Phil gets involved in the situation, which sets up the rest of the conflicts each character finds themself in
• "until Adam is declared missing" - Phil

  Fills the vacuum that is Phil's character; while he stays silent, he isn't just not doing anything: he is observing and listening
• Phil and Leah:

  • Phil is a blank canvas for Leah to project onto- she talks to him while he listens, not needing to respond
  • Food depicts comfort and stability; it is simple, unlike Phil, which is why he finds joy in always eating when around Leah - he feels stable and calm around her
  • When Leah leaves, his source of comfort is gone, so he isn't eating anymore