“only manages to prod at each topic when you want it to punch”
The events of the 2005 7/7 bombings were a tragic, life changing moment for many Britons. Nearly thirteen years later, with distance it is possible to examine how the lives of British Muslims may have altered alongside the willingness for some to engage with more nationalistic tones. Stephanie Silver’s Our Big Love Story is a piece with ambitious questions. These fly between the rise of racial tension to the struggles of a generation bombarded by suffering. Unfortunately, this show at The Hope Theatre ends up rather thin.
The plot threads between two paths. The first follows a group of four teenagers in the lead up to a house party, full of insecurities around relationships and the constant presence of sex. The second moves away to a teacher present at the attack, and his mental health following his difficulties in dealing with his faith in the wake of devastation.
The trickiness comes from the range of topics that Silver puts into her script, thoughts and ideas that are interesting but fail to delve in with enough complexity to provide any real insight. Characters are broad, clear but quite often flat, motivations shifting instantly to move the plot forward sufficiently. This is combined with an arc that fails to earn any of the redemptive qualities it seems to reach for, lumbered by an unforgiveable act that loses any sympathy for all involved.
Calum Robshaw’s direction is functional but bitty, and can get sucked into the stilted nature of some of the scenes with a lack of drive in enough places to propel us forward as an audience. Gemma Bright-Thomas’ minimal design utilises two frames to imaginatively create the tube, partnering with Rose Hockaday’s lighting design to create a number of locations with minimal fuss.
It is a shame because the cast bring moments in which you feel they could shine. Holly Ashman’s Destiny has spark but cannot hold up stiff dialogue in her relationship with Naina Kohli’s Anjum. Similarly, a monologue from Alex Britt’s Jack provides some reasonably engaging insight but is lumbered in clichéd conversation. It is Osman Baig’s Teacher who suffers most, crippled with monologues that fail to release much and interrupt any dramatic flow.
This is a piece that admirably attempts to cover a huge amount, but only manages to prod at each topic when you want it to punch.
“The production created an exciting, modern aesthetic”
Last night I was invited to see the Hope Theatre’s in-house production of Foul Pages. Directed by Matthew Parker, and written by Robin Hooper, it was a wonderfully different take on the history of the Pembrokes, and the Countesses’ involvement in the production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It.
I entered into a very cosy theatre space, welcomed by the comforting sounds of a fire crackling, setting the tone for perhaps a slightly different play. The script managed to encompass the vibe and charm of a Shakespearean comedy, without stalling in its language, and was still unapologetically queer. This, along with the general aesthetic of the play, lent a contemporary feel to the production, largely due to the period inspired, modern fashion choices in the costume.
Chop, played by James King, brought an interesting aspect to the play, which at first I was dubious about, however I was quickly swayed by King’s relentless cheeriness, and cheeky chap aurora. Another cheeky chap in the cast, had to be Alex, played by Lewis Chandler, who encompassed the angsty emo theatre kid fantastically. His energy shone throughout the performance, as did his and the players’ chemistry together. I will say however, that some of the acting was a tad melodramatic; it would have worked in a much bigger space, but in this small theatre, it was overwhelming. This could be said for the transitions as well, which seemed out of sync with the rest of the production. There were a few moments that didn’t seem to ‘fit’ into the plot.
With regard to the story line, I became lost. There seemed to be an endless number of plot lines, many of which felt underdeveloped. The same could also be said for some of the characters – for example, the two female characters began very well, however soon descended into stereotypes. I think the script would benefit from a longer run time, and the audience would benefit from a short interval, if not just to get some air. This, I think, might help the pacing, as in certain areas the play seemed to stall.
All in all, I really enjoyed the play, despite the moments that were out of sync and, perhaps, the clunky pacing. The production created an exciting, modern aesthetic, without falling into the trap of butchering the Shakespeare language just for laughs. They still managed to get me to laugh out loud for most of the performance. It was a funny, enjoyable and unapologetically queer take on a rather unknown part of Shakespearean history.
