By Their Fruits – Theatre503, Battersea

Writer/Director: dkfash

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Poetic & Passionate“

3.5 / 5

Him and Her have known each other since their school days – neighbors, family friends, and eventually, lovers. This choreographed, poetic piece of theatre explores the highs, lows, and in-betweens of their passionately intense relationship.

Him (Ivan Oyik) has his flaws: he’s a little messy, works too much, and doesn’t always pay enough attention to Her (Reba Ayi-Sobsa). On the other hand, Her has a quick temper, a streak of jealousy, and a touch of stubbornness. Despite these flaws, which often fuel their arguments, they are easily overlooked in the grand scheme of things. Their passion, care, and pride for one another outweigh the trivial disputes. They spend their evenings drinking, smoking, and enjoying each other’s company, all while planning for the future and fully investing in their love. However, as time passes, these flaws become more pronounced. Patience begins to wear thin, and ultimately, they start to grow apart, moving in different directions and burying the feelings they once shared. Can their feelings be reignited, or is it better to leave the past untouched?

Writer and director dkfash has crafted an intriguingly artistic production that seamlessly blends poetry, movement, and script. While the themes of love, tension, and reconciliation are familiar, the production goes beyond the typical relationship narrative by deeply fleshing out the characters, making them genuinely engaging and relatable. By the final moments, Him and Her feel like old friends, their histories, ambitions, and emotions fully realised in a cathartic display of expression on stage.

The bond between the characters and the chemistry between the actors is striking. Their slick, choreographed movements are mesmerizing as they seamlessly merge in and out of each other’s orbit. Oyik and Ayi-Sobsa often become one with their movements, so beautifully synchronised that even in moments when no words are spoken, the choreography still propels the story forward. Despite the scripts complexity and length, neither actor falters. Their performances are expertly well-rehearsed yet feel natural and fluid, with their interactions so believable that at times it almost seems improvised.

Running at 120 minutes long, it does at points lose its zing – the poetic metaphors become slightly repetitive, and the narrative starts to stall in the latter half of the first act. Shortening the first half slightly would help to keep the punchiness of the script and the pacey momentum of the production at a high. The second act helps to regain the energy from the start, as the two characters find themselves on different paths, breathing life back into the storyline and regaining its engaging qualities.  

Rachel E. Cleary’s lighting design adds an ethereal quality to the production, perfectly complementing the play’s mood. Set designer Amanda Ramasawmy’s minimalist stage design is layered with entrances and exits, allowing the smooth, free-flowing movement of the actors to remain unimpeded and adding to the show’s dynamic visual appeal.

Runs until 30^th November 2024