IKARIA at the Park Theatre

★★★★

“The performances are strong, with excellent chemistry and range”

Ikaria is both the name of an idyllic Greek island, and the deeply bleak student halls where this play takes place. This dark juxtaposition is indicative of a script filled with ironic humour, but also the grim hopelessness of the subject matter. The piece is raw and real, if a little predictable.

The play is a love story, of sorts. Mia is a fresh-faced first year, full of ambitions and hope. She meets Simon, a third year who took a year off after, he explains with an offhand joke, a bout of glandular fever and a period of not doing any work. As their relationship develops, it becomes apparent that Simon never leaves his room, and what seems at first to be a story of young love, is actually an exploration of Simon’s struggles with his mental health.

Philippa Lawford, who is both writer and director, has a very strong sense of place, and character. This is a masterclass in naturalism. The characters, dialogue, and world feel extremely familiar, but not derivative. It might have been nice to have a few more surprises, but there is something very powerful in the inevitable descent that neither character can prevent.

Andrea Gatchalian as Mia is very strong, traversing tone effortlessly and bringing her role as a side character to life. However, James Wilbraham as Simon is sublime. His performance makes the play. Wilbraham is doubtlessly one to watch.

The set is claustrophobic and oppressive. The perfect replica of a student dorm, down to the cork board and fire emergency stickers. The lighting (Shane Gill) and sound (Laurie Blundell) is broadly naturalistic, except for one powerful and symbolic scene, where Simon loses touch with reality.

Ikaria is relevant and impactful. It taps into current conversation, while remaining an interesting character portrayal. The performances are strong, with excellent chemistry and range. But for me, it was too long. It was clear how the story would play out, and while it is impactful to watch that through, I needed more to stay engaged. However, I think the audience was deeply moved by it. And rightly so, the topic is important to shed light on, and it was well drawn.

Ikaria

★★★★

Park Theatre

IKARIA at the Park Theatre

★★★★

“The performances are strong, with excellent chemistry and range”