★★★★

“manages to make themes of grief, suicide and guilt an entertaining and even humorous affair”

It’s fringe festival time again! Now, it is Clapham’s turn in holding the torch, offering new work from emerging artists in the South London area. One such piece being showcased is Testament – a short but affecting drama that combines humour with sober reality, and naturalism with the surreal inner workings of our heads.

Max is in hospital. He’s in hospital after having tried to commit suicide. He tried to commit suicide due to the devastation of the death of his girlfriend, Tess. She died in a car crash they were both in, along with his brother Chris. When Max wakes up from his failed suicide attempt in a hospital gown, in a hospital bed, he is adamant that Tess is still alive. In a cloud of hallucinations and confusion, as a result of the damage made to his brain, Max is questioning what happened to Tess, as well as his own mortality. While the Doctor and Chris are trying all they can to save him, in the present world, Max is in the middle of an abstract dream, where modernised biblical characters appear, pushing and pulling him between surviving or giving up the fight. What will Max choose? Does he still have it in him to pull through?

What makes this production such a delight to behold, is the highly imaginative and visceral staging and choreography that represents the non-linear, jumbled memories of protagonist Max. The abstract physical theatre is a welcomed contrast to the realism of the scenes between the Doctor and brother Chris. Hats off to the cast and directors Sam Edmunds and Patrick Harrison, for being able to manoeuvre around the tiny stage at The Bread and Roses while executing the frenzied movements with such precision.

A stand out scene that leaves the whole audience laughing is the abstract re-enactment of a lads night out: the getting ready, the taxi ride, the club and the funny strangers you meet along the way. The scene demonstrates the quality of Edmunds’ writing – able to handle comedy with as much competence as the more thoughtful, serious scenes. Edmunds proves his ability as a writer (particularly of everyday conversations) is as strong as his eye for the physical staging.

The high energy pace makes the majority of the fifty-five minute running time move very quickly, however the last quarter does seem to lose a little steam. This is the climax where Max is making a literal life or death decision so it does make sense that this monumental choice needs the space to be made.

All of the cast pull out the stops in Testament, with each member offering a different element to the production. Whether it be truth and believability, or comic relief, all actors prove a commitment in the facet they are providing. An exciting piece of new writing, Testament manages to make themes of grief, suicide and guilt an entertaining and even humorous affair, without ever losing its honesty about human emotions.

Reviewed by Phoebe Cole

Photography courtesy Chalk Line Theatre

The Gap

Bread & Roses Theatre

Reviewed – 9th October 2018

★★★★

“far more poignant and interrogative than it gives itself credit for”

It isn’t uncommon for shows to oversell themselves – bellowing about their meaning, message, and how important their work is, while actually being somewhat hollow. Strangely, Harrie Dobby’s The Gap undersells itself; its marketing brands it as a comedy, and while it certainly delivers on laughs, it’s also far more poignant and interrogative than it gives itself credit for.

The play centres on Lisa and Dave, whose paths intersect as they are backpacking around the world; they fall in love with each other, as well as the lifestyle, and find their ambitions and dreams challenged as the obligations and commitments of normal life start taking over. Dobby’s script is brimming with snappy dialogue and a blitzing pace that still gives sufficient attention to character moments. The comedy gleams especially bright when poking fun at the situations the characters find themselves in instead of relying on gags, and the whole cast does a magnificent job of wringing the humour out of every moment.

This is in no doubt also thanks to the direction – also provided by Dobby – as well as the minimalistic design by Ellena Dobby that gives the cast the space to feel unencumbered. Small visual cues help to provide context to scenes though, such as a confederacy flag draped on a chair in a scene where Lisa introduces her mother to Dave. This scene in particular brings out the more serious side of the play; the titular gap covers a number of divides that are explored, be they social, cultural, generational, or aspirational. In doing this, it elevates the comedy by underpinning it with relevant and thoughtful themes, but The Gap also knows when to let the drama take centre-stage.

Rafiq Richard and Lydia Orange deliver stellar performances as Dave and Lisa, sporting excellent chemistry and a fiery rapport. The supporting cast are also superb, with Rob Pomfret especially bringing a blistering energy to his role as Sean, that kept the audience thoroughly mesmerised. It was a shame that the supporting characters only appeared in a scene or two each, existing only to serve Lisa and Dave’s story instead of carrying journeys of their own, and it would have allowed for greater comedic and thematic opportunity if these characters too had faced obstacles to overcome.

It was pleasantly surprising to see The Gap feel unrestrained by its genre and often dance between comedy and drama seamlessly. It delivers a story that will leave you pondering and beaming in equal measure, and possesses an engaging, intellectual charm that it deserves be a little less modest about.

Tag Archives: Bread and Roses Theatre

Testament – 4 Stars

Testament

Bread & Roses Theatre

Reviewed – 11th October 2018

★★★★

“manages to make themes of grief, suicide and guilt an entertaining and even humorous affair”

Reviewed by Phoebe Cole

Photography courtesy Chalk Line Theatre

Testament

Bread & Roses Theatre as part of Clapham Fringe

Click here to see more of our latest reviews on thespyinthestalls.com

The Gap – 4 Stars

The Gap

Bread & Roses Theatre

Reviewed – 9th October 2018

★★★★

“far more poignant and interrogative than it gives itself credit for”

Reviewed by Tom Francis

The Gap

Bread & Roses Theatre

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Austen The Musical | ★★★★ | January 2018

Blue Moon | ★★★ | January 2018

F*ckingLifeMate | ★★★★★ | March 2018

Talos II | ★★★ | March 2018

The Buzz | ★★★ | May 2018

Once a Year on Blackpool Sands | ★★★★ | June 2018

Richard II – Shakespeare | ★★ | August 2018

Metamorphosis | ★★★★ | October 2018

Click here to see more of our latest reviews on thespyinthestalls.com