LOVE CONDITIONS
Old Red Lion Theatre
★★★
“an honest look at the bruises and bonds that define us”
You can’t choose your family, but how much should you want to? And when should you choose yourself instead (or in spite) of them? Playwright Ela Moss asks these questions in Love Conditions, squashing three frustrated characters into a flat in Archway to unpack everything from their insecurities in commitment to their absent dads.
In the well-worn living room strewn with empty lager cans, Beth and boyfriend Alex bicker about and around Beth’s sister’s imminent arrival. When Kelly finally flounces in with an air of forced glamour (and a leopard print top to change into even though they’re staying inside), the arguments multiply, revelations rear their heads and ugly truths sneak out of clenched jaws.
Moments of carefully judged comic timing puncture the continuous sniping, particularly from Alec Boaden as Zac – his face freezing in befuddlement at another hairpin turn in debate from his unravelling girlfriend (Sophia Decaro). Sarah Andre White’s portrayal of Kelly had us snickering continuously as she strutted between wine bottle and wine glass, attempting to slowly prise back control over her sister, before giving up pretence and wrenching it instead. In one early scene, Beth and Kelly chatter back and forth, flipping jokes into jabs, throwing out cutting remarks and then scrambling to write the most well-versed ones down in the notes app. The unpredictable ping-pong match of sisterhood is vibrant here.
The foundations are solid, but the play is unfortunately uneven in delivery. We get hits of theatrical flair in Harper K. Hefferon’s direction, like Kelly’s arrival. There’s an initial freeze frame lit in red which hits deliciously between ominous and camp, before her lofty and patronising demeanour is firmly established. But in later scenes, it felt a bit like the actors had run out of things to do in the space, becoming boomerangs, picking up and placing down wine bottles before asking for a top-up.
It doesn’t feel like these characters truly have nowhere else to go, which punctures the premise of the play. Mostly, the confrontational dialogue tumbles out smoothly, but as we progress it doesn’t always feel like linear development. Some of Beth’s lines feel like they’ve been elbowed into the script to put a pithy opinion in front of an audience, rather than being true to that character. There are a few specifics lacking which would ground the audience in the truth of the narrative, for example, the age difference between the sisters seems to swing uncertainly between anecdotes and storylines. Willoughby Brow’s design is understated but well-judged, with the set and costumes giving us distinct hints about the finer points of each characters’ status.
In a one-room play where the dynamics are the drama, there’s a fine line between claustrophobic and repetitive. Unfortunately we land a little too close to the latter in this production, but there’s still a solid collection of reflections on family, trauma and what we owe each other. Despite its flaws, this is an honest look at the bruises and bonds that define us.
LOVE CONDITIONS
Old Red Lion Theatre
Reviewed on 10th December 2025
by Jessica Hayes
Previously reviewed at this venue:
AN INSTINCT | ★★★½ | November 2025
CURATING | ★★ | November 2025
DEATH BELLES | ★★★½ | October 2025
FRAT | ★★ | May 2025
