Tag Archives: The Vaults

Juniper and Jules

Juniper and Jules
★★★★

VAULT Festival

Reviews, , , , , , , ,

Juniper and Jules

Juniper and Jules

The Vaults

Reviewed – 23rd January 2019

★★★★

 

“Taylor and Schmidt have great chemistry. Both wholly own their roles, playing two very different women”

 

Juniper (Stella Taylor) has never been attracted to men. Jules (Gabriella Schmidt) had no idea she could be attracted to women. That changed when she met Juniper. This one-hour play follows the progression of Juniper and Jules, from early infatuation into the rougher waters of a long-term relationship. It explores the question of whether it’s possible to be committed without being exclusive, and asks how much one should be willing to sacrifice for a partner (if anything).

Juniper & Jules is a series of snapshots of a modern lesbian couple: their dating, their sex, their arguments. Writer Stephanie Martin has created two compelling characters whom she guides with impressive authenticity. There’s a genuineness to their frustrations and their vulnerability that resonates. Martin orchestrates the flow and ebb of their closeness and distance with real skill, shaping a narrative that’s unflinching and bold, but also light and touching. Humour is a thread woven throughout. The jokes are clever and consistently land well.

Taylor and Schmidt have great chemistry. Both wholly own their roles, playing two very different women. There is accomplished subtlety in Taylor’s facial expressions. Schmidt bounces between hot and cold with ease. They command the intimate room, giving the audience no opportunity to let their attention drift.

Juniper and Jules’ attempt to navigate the pitfalls of a non-exclusive relationship is engrossing. However, an ending that is meant to be revelatory feels circular instead. With a bit too much sermonising, the characters rehash the same ideas, and make the same decisions they made before, simply hoping this time will be different. It’s somewhat anticlimactic, as it seems a lot of the problems of the story have been left unaddressed. But overall it’s an honest, engaging, and insightful portrayal of a young couple trying to make their own rules rather than submitting to prescribed standards.

The Pit room at The Vaults is a tight space. Benches for the audience take up most of the area, leaving just an impossibly small, narrow strip of floor within which the entire performance is contained. It’s remarkable how well director Bethany Pitts has made use of almost nothing. Despite the nearly complete lack of set, we are easily immersed in the characters’ world. Also noteworthy is the approach to Juniper and Jules’ texting – a common obstacle in modern plays. Taylor and Schmidt speak the texts, including punctuation, at a distance from each other. It’s effective and keeps the characters engaged (rather staring at phones while we see messages displayed on a screen).

There’s an exciting twenty-five percent of work from LGBTQ+ artists at VAULT Festival this year. If you’re interested in authentic queer narratives told truthfully, with frankness and humour, then Juniper & Jules should be on your list.

 

Reviewed by Addison Waite

Photography courtesy Clamour Theatre

 

Vault Festival 2019

Juniper and Jules

Part of VAULT Festival 2019

 

 

 

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The Significant Other Festival – 2.5

Reviews, , ,

Significant

The Significant Other Festival

The Vaults

Reviewed – 17th April 2018

★★½

“ultimately it is the attempted scale of the performance that lets it down”

 

Over the last few years New Writing Nights have emerged and flourished across the London Fringe, with themed nights and unique ways of engaging with audiences allowing artists to take risks. The Significant Other Festival from The Pensive Federation proposes something unique: ten different plays set in one location, set over the course of an evening and merged into one single piece. All have been collected and created over the course of just ten days.

We are back in 1988 within the fictional factory of Reseal 9. Jack is leaving the company and it is the day of his retirement party. Beforehand, we jump between the stories of various employees, from office staff through to box sealers. The time of a major figure leaving in any group can be a catalyst for change, and it provides an opportunity for many to evaluate their relationships and anxieties. These scenes have been created by ten writers, interwoven by a group of employees that help the piece to flow, referring outside events and carrying us through. The level of ambition in achieving this is to be admired, but ultimately it is the attempted scale of the performance that lets it down.

The scenes themselves form somewhat of a mixed bag. A shame in terms of an audience’s point of view is the lack of variation and repetition of themes. Couple after couple form ‘Will they, won’t they?’ partnerships, and by the fifth scene using this pattern it drains. If there was a clearer separation, it would be fairer to distance scenes, but the structure forces to judge the performance as one whole. It also feels unsatisfying as no play or storyline feels complete, instead feeling bitty despite some nice writing from Chantelle Dusette and Emma Bentley in their various sections.

The slightly overlong production from Pensive Federation Artistic Director Neil J. Byden operates in broad strokes, and is hugely impressive in its smoothness, feeling confident in the world it chooses to explore. This unity can lead to a lack of variation, but lip sync and detailed bright spots keep us moving forward. They are aided by a cast who are far too many to even try and review in detail. They play their parts with uniform clarity, though as a general point can feel rather stock in parts, but this does allow for a distinction between them so is understandable.

This Significant Other Festival is a difficult show to review due to the nature of its creation and the structure of its performance. On the one hand an exploration of a single day in the life of many within a factory, put together in under two weeks is simply incredible. But while acknowledging that you wish for more. More fire in its politics, more courage in its variations and more exploration of depth rather than pushing for scale. As a New Writing Night it is a beautiful idea, and you look forward to the day in which it is mastered.

 

Reviewed by Callum McCartney

 


The Significant Other Festival

The Vaults

 

 

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