Remembrance Monday
The Seven Dials Playhouse provides the perfect backdrop for this gripping, gritty piece of theatre. Nick Hayes and Matthew Stathers star in this thought provoking play touching on important topics within the LGBTQIA+ community, mental health and memory. As the piece starts you get a glimpse in to the lives of what you think is a normal gay couple but with the use of repetition in short sharp scenes, not all is as it seems as the story unravels before your very eyes.
Nick Hayes is incredibly gripping as Julius; he portrays the vulnerability and intensity of the character very well. Julius literally falls apart in front of your very eyes and although the piece is in a small intimate space, as much as you want to help there is nothing you as an audience member can do.
Matthew Stathers is the other half of the duo playing Connor; he definitely holds all the cards in this relationship and unlike Julius his character is more dominant and has a harder external shell. Stathers is perfect for this role providing the light and shade of the piece, revealing different layers to his character in each scene, he executes his role beautifully.
Comfortable and not afraid to show their well groomed bodies, together the chemistry of the two is electric. The stakes are high from the very beginning and as the story unfolds they touch upon subjects such as homophobia, child trauma, insecurity, knife crime, mental health and dementia. Dementia was the leading cause of death in the UK in 2022 and Michael Batten’s writing raises awareness, handling this subject matter delicately.
Jack Weir’s lighting design was cleverly constructed around the piece and added that finishing touch. Alan Souza’s direction is great, the piece is clear and concise and I love the simplicity of Andrew Exeter’s set design. Set in a bathroom at the family home, a free standing bath tub and mirrored sink are strategically placed within a hollow square stage, it meant that there are no clunky distractions and you could just concentrate on the actors and story.
The story and characters glide seamlessly side by side with Batten clearly mapping out the journey of both and a clear intention to provoke a reaction from the audience, which I can assure you he achieved. It’s actually quite refreshing to see a play that highlights other subject matters that aren’t necessarily the go to when you think LGBTQIA+ theatre. I am no doctor, but our brains are so powerful, what happens when the complex structure starts to break down and there is nothing we can do?.
It makes you question life and what happens when our memories, the one thing you think you can rely on, become fragmented and you don’t know what is real anymore. A great thought provoking play, be sure to check it out.
This show was reviewed on the 26th April 2024 at Seven Dials Playhouse, London where it runs until the 1st June 2024. Tickets available here: Shows (ticketsolve.com)
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Photo credit: Danny Kaan
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