Lyric Hammersmith (venue)
22 July 2022 (released)
21 July 2022
‘What do you want?’
‘To be loved.’
‘That simple?’
‘It’s a big want.’
A slick revival of the modern classic.
To mark the 25th Anniversary of the play’s premiere, director Clare Lizzimore stages a new production of Patrick Marber’s award-winning play about love, sex, intimacy and desires.
The story is about four individuals and their interweaving relationships.
Alice (Ella Hunt) - an attractive and free-spirited young woman, and Dan (Jack Farthing) - an emotional aspiring writer, meet and fall in love as he rescues her from a car accident on the street of London.
Dan develops a connection with Anna (Nina Toussaint-White) - an intelligent and charming photographer, as they exchange thoughts on the sexual aspects of Dan’s book.
Anna meets Larry (Sam Troughton) - a kind hearted, hot blooded and short tempered doctor, and a relationship is sparked.
Dan and Alice are together, Anna and Larry are a couple, yet Dan desires Anna, Alice is bitter and Larry wants revenge. Their relationships are entwined, they lie, they hurt each other, it is painful, it is bittersweet, and it is real.
Credits to the excellent actors and casting team who made each character incredibly bright and believable. My personal favourite is Troughton’s portrayal of Larry, as he embodies the desperation, anger and vulnerability of the man who is cheated on and tries to seek vengeance. Whilst his performance dominates the stage several times, including one of the most powerful scenes of the play where he and Anna fight and break up at the end of Act One, he also often lightens up the atmosphere with well-executed humour.
The script itself is a timeless piece, thanks to each character’s vivid personalities, the sharp and explicit dialogues and the captivating emotional dilemmas. With Lizzimore’s stylish approach, Richard Howell’s lighting design and Arun Ghosh’s fantastic music direction (the live music being a highlight), this production is even further elevated as these elements contribute and set the mood for the scenes.
A very enjoyable performance overall.
Photo credit: Marc Brenner
