This is the story of a young couple, fiery, in love, and intertwined. They have known one another from childhood, grown together, struggled together. Told in the tiny space of Theatre 503, the players and the design transform the space magically. Their bodies intertwine, weaving choreography seamlessly in and out of more natural movement - it is both smooth and staccato, harsh and soft, fast and slow, interchangeably. The heightened poetic language of the text is emphasised by these movement, which take place in a set which is somehow static and transformational at the same time. It is rare to see a production where the pacing is pitch perfect throughout two acts of heigtened text, but this one was. All of this might sound experimental, which it was, but within the constructs of a “well made play”. The form was constantly rebelled against, then fallen into, repeatedly, mirroring the experiences of the characters who rebel against their past, their history, then fall back into old and familiar comfortable patterns. This is all supported by the lighting design and sound design which create a seamless world for this language and play.
The two performers are captivating, their connnection to one another permeating the space, making the audience feel a part of their story yet voyeurs at the same time. It is difficult to describe the patter, the connection - you believed for every second they had known one another a lifetime, with the deepest intimacy.
None of this would be possible without a strong guiding directorial eye. Every breath, every moment thought of, planned in the most beautiful detail yet somehow feeling organic and spontaneous.
My only qualm was with the story itself — the form was so delightfully challenging and intellectual, that the content itself (a simple story of love, family complexity, and unwanted discoveries) was nothing new, nor did it elicit response from me in a new way as an audience member. It was as if the form was so powerful the content took a back seat. This isn’t a complaint, but I would say that the story was the weakest element of the script. The text, however, filled with vivid imagery and biblical references was well constructed and clearly a delight for the creatives to work with.