Lemons make you pull a face.
Lemonworld, the new short play by Matt Fuller, a product of OUDS\’ New Writing Festival running this week at the Burton Taylor, won\’t. It does, however, share with its namesake its shape; far from turning out pear-shaped, this production is competent and assured in every aspect of the production, but takes a while to get into.
The main body of the play is engaging and thought-provoking, and rounds off into a nicely redemptive concluding point. The story, which concerns itself with the dynamic between a young man struggling to come to terms with the death of his mother (Adam Scott Taylor); his dependent brother (Dylan Townley) who aspires to become a playwright and his troubled lady friend neighbour, tempestuous tempress Ada (Sarah Perry), asks questions of art, of grief, of human relationships, and is reassuringly hopeful in its outlook. It seems to lack, however, a real sense of pace and scope; the omnipresence of the boys\’ dead mother and Ada\’s abusive partner, neither of whom appear onstage, feels a little tired, and the dialogue at times veers toward the mundane. The play\’s meta-meditation on the nature of theatre, and its humorous analysis of the life of the playwright, is a particular highlight, and is refreshing in its consciously naïve and light-hearted self-reflexivity.
The low-key, this-could-be-happening-in-the-house-next-door mood of the piece is affected well by the ‘well-lived in\’ (messy) set of the boys\’ apartment, and by Scott Taylor\’s understated embodiment of the everyman, trying with the best of intentions to find his way in the world. Townley\’s portrayal of the awkward, childlike playwright-to-be is touching in its simplicity, and Sarah Perry\’s Ava brings to the play the urgency and humour which really propels the plot and engages the audience. Archie Cornish\’s direction captures the reality of the situations within the play, and walks nicely the line between everyday experience and the theatrical extraordinary, encouraging in the performers a vodka-and-lemonade blend of humour and poignancy. The audience travelled along with the characters on their respective journeys perfectly well through their dialogue and action, and the choice of musical accompaniment between scene changes felt a little extraneous, but would doubtlessly would appeal to those with a taste for soul-searching singer-songwriters.
Altogether, Lemonworld makes for an enjoyable and worthwhile experience; it won\’t leave the bitter taste in your mouth which I am not sure as to whether or not was its intention, but is certainly theatrically refreshing, and well deserves its place in the thespian fruitbowl of the New Writing Festival.
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