True Dare Kiss
Photo Supplied
By Kate Stephenson
Monday 28th September 2009
I’m going to put my hand firmly in the air before I get too carried away, and explain how much I hated the script for this play. It was dated, episodic and had no form of resolution at the end. I don’t know if this was due to poor cutting choices or simply the nature of the original, but it was a shame because the acting was extremely strong. Amanda Litherland, as Alice, and Tom Baylem, as Kevin, were well matched as a couple in an abusive relationship and they played out some very difficult scenes convincingly. Also of note was Emily Webb’s portrayal of Nita. The scene between Webb and Litherland, when Alice decides to leave her husband was very touching. Many excellent things can also be said of the rest of the cast, although performances were marred in places by some confusing doubling and a very dodgy northern accent.
This production made extensive use of film, setting the scene with back projections, which indicated location rather than changing the set. This was slick and worked well. There were also a number of films which demonstrated the passing of time or reinforced plot ideas. Some of these were both interesting and atmospheric, such as the wedding reception video, which played during the post-wedding scene, others were less relevant and went on for too long.
The venue itself, Cabaret Voltaire, did not lend itself well as a performance space, high backed chairs affected sight lines and therefore anyone further back than the front row could not see any action occurring on the floor, and thus some dramatic scenes were rendered invisible to the majority of the audience. Altogether, a pretty fair production of a bad play, in a not terribly suitable venue
Monday 28th September 2009
I’m going to put my hand firmly in the air before I get too carried away, and explain how much I hated the script for this play. It was dated, episodic and had no form of resolution at the end. I don’t know if this was due to poor cutting choices or simply the nature of the original, but it was a shame because the acting was extremely strong. Amanda Litherland, as Alice, and Tom Baylem, as Kevin, were well matched as a couple in an abusive relationship and they played out some very difficult scenes convincingly. Also of note was Emily Webb’s portrayal of Nita. The scene between Webb and Litherland, when Alice decides to leave her husband was very touching. Many excellent things can also be said of the rest of the cast, although performances were marred in places by some confusing doubling and a very dodgy northern accent.
This production made extensive use of film, setting the scene with back projections, which indicated location rather than changing the set. This was slick and worked well. There were also a number of films which demonstrated the passing of time or reinforced plot ideas. Some of these were both interesting and atmospheric, such as the wedding reception video, which played during the post-wedding scene, others were less relevant and went on for too long.
The venue itself, Cabaret Voltaire, did not lend itself well as a performance space, high backed chairs affected sight lines and therefore anyone further back than the front row could not see any action occurring on the floor, and thus some dramatic scenes were rendered invisible to the majority of the audience. Altogether, a pretty fair production of a bad play, in a not terribly suitable venue