Reviewed by:
Stage Whispers
Review by Mark Wickett |
25 February 2024
It’s a story of childhood innocence smashed by tragedy, which is slowly, slowly revealed to us. The six young adults talk over each other with ‘remember when?’ prompts to set the scene and progress the narrative – and this wordplay where the ending of one person’s sentence is taken up by another is where this production works best. It’s fast, initially disconnected, and the audience must work out how the pieces go together.
The performances are fine too – there are six distinct characters brought to life by good actors, clearly articulating their particular form of post-traumatic stress. Standout is Lauren Paolini’s Emma, whose haunting silent looks convey her inability to deal with the event much more convincingly than the loud overlapping rants of the others around her.
The well-drawn characters alone are not enough to make this work. There is some originality in the story here, however well-worn this trope is, but the play needs pruning back for that to blossom.