Attic

King’s Head Theatre

Opening Night – 26th June 2017

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“Attic is an emotional tennis match, a back and forth between a deep love and an intense loathing”

 

No one can deny that human relationships can be complex, often unconventional and sometimes dangerous. This work, written by Meriel Hinsching, explores the fractious and fragile way in which two people can’t be with or without each other.

From the very first scene, it is apparent that our characters share a lot of history as they each perform their soliloquy full of longing and reminiscence. However, only fragments of information are relayed to the audience – why did their relationship fall apart? What brought them back together again? Can they make this work somehow?

Ed Theakston (award winning director, Best Play award for Bit of Sunshine, LOST Theatre Festival 2016 & Theatre503) has created such a tense atmosphere, which leaves us on the edge of our seats, and yet there are still moments of humour, which break through in the most refreshing way. Sharing a sneaky bottle of whiskey, tripping over their jeans in an attempt to get out of them, acting like a couple of teenagers, reliving carefree days.

These moments are suddenly juxtaposed with erratic episodes, often triggered by Leonie (played by Phoebe Stapleton) who is seemingly unable to stay within the confines of happiness and begins to question everything all over again.

Hinsching wants the audience to ponder over this because haven’t we all been there at one time or another? Floating along in a bubble of happiness but so afraid that the whole thing may come crashing down, so we retreat back into our safety net?

Attic is an emotional tennis match, a back and forth between a deep love and an intense loathing. The real darkness to the play is the connotations of the concept of death, from Leonie threatening to fall from the open window, to her screaming at Bay (Connor Harris) to make her feel ‘more alive’ – are they so tormented by their individual lives? Is the idea of a life together absolute heaven or sheer hell?

In Attic, this changes from one moment to the next.

Reviewed by Stephanie Legg

Attic

is at the King’s Head Theatre for a further two performances on 2nd and 3rd July