HIDE AND SEEK at the Park Theatre

★★★★

“a real testament to exciting new writing, a brilliantly well-constructed meditation on fantasy and reality”

Tobia Rossi’s tale of teenage exploration and alienation is a great new take on attraction across the divide. There are shades of Holden Caulfield in Louis Scarpa’s Gio, an awkward teenage theorist, whereas Nico Cetrulo’s Mirko is the polar opposite; popular, and growing into his own power. This is no Heartstopper-esque wholesome teenage love story and all the better for it.

The two boys are contemporaries at the same school, though definitely not friends. Mirko stumbles upon Gio, who is hiding in a cave in remote woods, kilometres from their Italian village where nothing exciting happens. Gio is inexpertly living like a hermit after having run away and cut himself off from the world, his last message a cryptic online post. Mirko is thrilled at his discovery, informing Gio of his infamy in the outside world. Gio pleads for Mirko to keep his hiding place secret, persuading him of the discontentment he experiences in the outside world. Mirko resolves to help him, and becomes an enabler, bringing Gio sustenance and companionship over their visits. As they become close, their talk turns to their fantasies, and they explore their sexualities, initially under the guise of helping Mirko ‘practice’ for girls.

Their conversations often revolve around local stories and gossip that have dogged Gio since he was small, resulting in him being a target for school bullies. These are slowly uncovered, and often play at the boundaries of innocence and darkness. Misinterpretation is also a major theme, sometimes willfully prompted as Gio’s cover up becomes ever more elaborate. This contrasts with Gio’s obsession with authenticity; there are delicious tensions between this and the construction of falsehoods that suit both characters.

Both Rossi’s story and Carlotta Brentan’s translation and direction have ensured the script is full of interesting circularity, really mining the most out of these ideas, with believably unsympathetic characters at the core. I particularly enjoyed the juxtaposition of Mirko’s self-help pseudo-intellectualism against Gio’s misguided teenage logic. Rossi doesn’t insist on pointing out the flaws, and allows them to find dark common ground. The action builds to a climax that feels inevitable thanks to artful signposting, but is not lacking in emotional and visceral heft.

Louis Scarpa is all awkward sleeve pulling as Gio, which plays well into a central motif surrounding hands. He also nails down a mysterious and otherworldly air to Gio, which foreshadows the final monologue perfectly. When he gets into a flow on his special interests, his wide-eyed energy is infectious, and matched by Nico Cetrulo as Mirko. Cetrulo is able to strike the right balance between Nico’s outward confidence, and the inexperience he is acutely aware of. Their relationship feels appropriately accidental, never straying far from the shame that engulfs Mirko.

The set (Constance Comparot) evokes Gio’s stinking cave well, with concrete and stone blocks getting strewn with rubbish and tinned supplies throughout the piece. Alex Forey cleverly uses a combination of side lights and the torch on a phone to evoke dinginess, and allows the actors to play in the shadows before revealing themselves. Later, pulsating LED lights (brought by Mirko) subtly tell the passage of time, and are a backdrop to Gio’s reclusive and confused existence. This is again emphasised by Mirko’s costume changes (Alessandro Milzoni) between scenes which contrast with Gio remaining in the same filthy hoody.

This is a fantastic production that has journeyed from Italy via New York and the Vault Festival in 2023. It is a real testament to exciting new writing, a brilliantly well-constructed meditation on fantasy and reality, truth and untruths, authenticity and facades with two enticing performances at its heart

HIDE AND SEEK at the Park Theatre

Reviewed on 14th March 2024

by Rosie Thomas

Photography by Mariano Gobbi

Previously reviewed at this venue:

COWBOYS AND LESBIANS | ★★★★ | February 2024

HIR | ★★★★ | February 2024

LEAVES OF GLASS | ★★★★ | January 2024

KIM’S CONVENIENCE | ★★★★ | January 2024

21 ROUND FOR CHRISTMAS | ★★★★ | December 2023

THE TIME MACHINE – A COMEDY | ★★★★ | December 2023

IKARIA | ★★★★ | November 2023

PASSING | ★★★½ | November 2023

THE INTERVIEW | ★★★ | November 2023

IT’S HEADED STRAIGHT TOWARDS US | ★★★★★ | September 2023

SORRY WE DIDN’T DIE AT SEA | ★★½ | September 2023

THE GARDEN OF WORDS | ★★★ | August 2023

HIDE AND SEEK

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★★★★

“Pilkington and Vyvyan have amazing chemistry – their friendship and shy flirting seems entirely natural”

Cowboys and Lesbians, written and directed by Billie Esplen, is a queer romantic comedy about 17-year-old best friends Nina (Julia Pilkington) and Noa (Georgia Vyvyan). In their last year at secondary school, they are ready for the adult world and all that their young minds perceive it to entail – the freedom, choosing washing machines, and, most importantly, sex. Outside of school responsibilities, the two fantasise about their futures and a satirical Hollywood romance set in the Old West. Full of cliches, the teenage duo uses this story to explore their feelings for each other and their budding queerness.

The play fluctuates between scenes of Nina and Noa sitting on a bench discussing their hopes and dreams and scenes from their fantasy romance. In the latter, we meet the histrionic small-town girl Abigail – played by Vyvyan – who has dreams of making it to the unspecified Big City. One day, the charming Carter – played by Pilkington – joins her ranch as a farmhand and plays out every stereotype of a tough but sweet cowboy that you can imagine. The two, as expected, fall in love despite violent objections from Abigail’s older brother Jebediah and the intellectual interference of Abigail’s mentor Finneas. It must be commended how easily the pair move between the numerous roles – quick costume changes, exaggerated accents and great physicality do wonders here to help the audience along.

In both plotlines, the theme of stuckness is key – we see the lives of characters who feel that they have nowhere to go and must conform to what is expected of them whether that to learn to be a traditional housewife for the farm or go out to late night gigs in Bethnal Green. The most touching scenes are when Nina and Noa talk to Abigail and Carter respectively about their secret love and are encouraged to take the chance and be together when their created characters could not.

Pilkington and Vyvyan have amazing chemistry – their friendship and shy flirting seems entirely natural. The former is particularly strong as Carter who swaggers around and poses melodramatically whenever possible. The duo is also very funny – they have a great grasp of comedic timing, and their delivery is always strong and purposeful.

The set (Esme Solomon) is elementary but effective – the façade of a barn with wood-panelling and saloon doors to enter and leave the stage. A simple block sits in the middle of the stage on which the two friends sit as they compose their imaginary world. Pilkington and Vyvyan occupy the space well – making use of all the various props – such as the ladder and washing line – to add movement and intrigue to their dialogue. The lighting (Jamie Platt) works well with the set – a range of colours implemented depending on the time of day and the mood on stage.

There is an undeniable predictability in Cowboys and Lesbians, and it is full of well-worn cliches. Nevertheless, the play seems relatively self-aware, at times mocking its own reliance on the classic romantic structure of cinema and TV. Occasionally, the script shifts into the twee rather than the satirical which can make some moments of awkward teenage fumbling thoroughly cringey to watch. Overall, however, the play hits the right tone, and you can’t help but ‘awww’ when our protagonists finally have their first kiss.

It is a joy to see a queer coming of age story played out on stage. You will certainly laugh but you will also be touched by the naïve sweetness of it all. A well-executed and thought-out play.

HIDE AND SEEK at the Park Theatre

★★★★

“a real testament to exciting new writing, a brilliantly well-constructed meditation on fantasy and reality”

HIDE AND SEEK at the Park Theatre

Reviewed on 14th March 2024

by Rosie Thomas

Photography by Mariano Gobbi

Previously reviewed at this venue:

HIDE AND SEEK

HIDE AND SEEK

COWBOYS AND LESBIANS at the Park Theatre

★★★★

“Pilkington and Vyvyan have amazing chemistry – their friendship and shy flirting seems entirely natural”

COWBOYS AND LESBIANS at the Park Theatre

Reviewed on 23rd February 2024

by Flora Doble

Photography by Ella Pavlides

Previously reviewed at this venue:

COWBOYS AND LESBIANS

COWBOYS AND LESBIANS