Play Something, 4 Stars
Greenside, Lime Studio
Further Info
“Two men meet in a club. It’s supposed to just be casual sex. But their paths keep crossing, keeping it casual for years, until feelings deepen. But how does a non-emotional man become emotional? To tell you their story they ask the DJ to play something. Something to make love to, to split up to, to celebrate, to cry, and to play the Forever Song. They are the songs of all of us. Covering decades, younger become older and the play becomes the story of everyone who has loved, lost, and loved again, and had Our Song.”
What a beautiful story! Made all the more pignant because of their unsuitability, their incompatability! They meet, one chases the other runs, they eventually come together – one sees them as in an open relationship, the other convinces himself they’re just fuck buddies. One grows his love while the other has already fallen. But they’re not honest in their communication. They evolve and change, their lives divert, and they move on.
Isn’t this all our personal life stories? To some extent or other. Tell them you love them and they’ll run, pretend you don’t and they’ll stay. “Treat ’em mean to keep ’em keen” – but hide your true feelings.
This play lets you watch the games we play. Not only do we watch – but an older wiser version of the 2 men watch. All the while overseen by a DJ who “does requests.” And what’s requested is a fine collection of songs that mean something to the characters. Swept along with the exuberance of youth, empathising with the older and wiser versions, and then choking as they are together at the end of life’s journey. Pulling on your heart strings, touching on your emotions, and recognising relationship mistakes you’ll want to bring tissues to this one – there’ll be no dry eyes left in the house!
Cast
Jacko Pook
Ben Maytham
Matt Bradbury
Shane Whitworth
Jazz Ely
Written and Directed by Paul T Davies
Producer Neville Edrich for Stage Write
Review by Richard Lambert
