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Venus Flytrap Productions present VIRTUALLY IN LOVE
Writer / Director: Nic Penrake
Design: Laura Wyles
White Bear Theatre
1 – 20 September 2009
A review by Jafar Iqbal for EXTRA! EXTRA!
Scene number one of the play: two men and a woman sit together in a bar, drinking. One of the men is on a date with the woman, while the other has tagged along. The audience gets the impression that both men are on the hunt for the woman’s attention. She shuns them both and ends up having sex with the waiter in the ladies’ toilets. We are on the verge of a love triangle. What follows are new businesses being opened, guns, murder, terminal illnesses, extended sex scenes, and some educational yet oddly inserted information given about the recession and the side effects of multiple sclerosis. If all of this sounds a little convoluted, it is because Virtually In Love was all a little convoluted. What seems to begin as a humorous love triangle for the twenty-first century (internet dating, the idea of open relationships, references to Facebook, etc.) turns quickly into something completely different, with the narrative twisting and turning repeatedly and leaving me wondering what exactly the plot is. I feel harsh saying it, because there were some facets of the production that really stood out as positives to me. The performances, mainly, are the glue that holds this play together. Ben Willens (as obnoxious, arrogant Brad) and Tim Robinson (as cool and grounded Myles) are both excellent in their roles, and Rebecca Santos (as Gina) is strong too. There is a naturalism in the script that the cast do justice to, and little nuances and gestures which add realism to their performances. What is unfortunate, however, is that the characters seem to change so drastically in such a short space of time that it’s hard to gain any emotional investment in them. Brad is beautifully arrogant in the first third of the play, sleeping around and doing what he wants, when he wants. Suddenly, with no real progression to get there, he is a humbled, insecure man. Similarly, Jessica (Brad’s other lover, played well by Dawn Anderson) is a loving, polite and genuinely nice young woman. How she ends up in the possession of a handgun is explained in such a rush, and how she finds the courage to use it is not justified at all. Technically, the play is fantastic, that cannot be faulted at all. Scene changes are slightly long, but the music more than makes up for it. There is a good use of props and the space as a whole is well used. Lighting was not really a major factor in the play, due to the realism which required simple lighting, yet there was a very good atmospheric use of red in the first scene. In all fairness, the very first scene is tremendous. In terms of acting, character development, scene and plot progression, humour – the first scene is brilliant and definitely draws the audience in. However, the story goes on into so many tangents that it becomes too convoluted. It is a shame that the play ultimately left me feeling disappointed, as it begins with so much promise. However, there is definitely the potential that, with some tightening up and removal of filler, this could still be a strong production.
Lighting & Stage Management: Patricia Andreucci
http://www.whitebeartheatre.co.uk
Times: Tuesday-Saturday 7.30pm / Sunday 5.30pm £10 - £12 White Bear Theatre, 138 Kennington Park Road, London SE11 4DJ
Box Office: 020 7793 9193
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