Reviewer: Christine Stanton
Writer & Director: Chess Hayden
“Short but Stands Out”
3.5 / 5
Lucy and Dylan are best friends, flatmates – and now, partners in crime. During an argument between Lucy and her abusive ex-boyfriend Jake, there was a struggle with him being pushed down the stairs to his death. Lucy and Dylan are faced with the decision of what to do – cover it up or call the police is a choice too hard to decide, so they leave it in the fate of a rock, paper, scissors game instead.
Writer and director Chess Hayden has created a fun, interesting narrative that keeps up a snappy pace throughout the 50-minute show. The storyline is over the top and farcical in nature, well executed by the engaging actors on stage. Dylan (Jimmy Roberts) and Lucy (Emma Lo) both humorously run through their options at lightning speed, realistically reacting to each scenario they present to each other.
When Dylans high maintenance ex-girlfriend Jemma (Megan Cooper) shows up to collect her belongings, the farce is ramped up even further – with them trying their hardest to conceal their crime from her, close to failing constantly as she weaves around the stage. Cooper does a good job of fitting into the story without detracting from what been built up previously, adding another level of enjoyable ridiculousness to the dark comedy.
The set is simple – easily identifiable as a front room in a flat with a few pieces of furniture placed around the stage. The characters use the space well – pacing back and forth as they stress about their decision and comfortably interacting with their surroundings.
Although this show is short, it stands out, thanks to both the writing and the actors execution. The characters are written well, and although there isn’t a huge amount of backstory or build-up, they are engaging and familiar enough that this could almost be a snapshot of an episode from a TV series surrounding the funny flatmates, rather than just a one-off show.
Runs Until 11 October 2023
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