Love and Money by Dennis Kelly is a deep exploration into two of the most pertinent anxieties in today’s world: well, love and money. Performed at the Burton Taylor Studio, with this bare backdrop and intimate seating, the play’s short bursts of love, hate, and everything in between are allowed to speak for themselves.
The play begins with David (played by Isaac Wighton) flirtatiously emailing his French co-worker Sandrine (played by Olivia Winnifrith), and through her mix of intensity and intimacy, David admits the sordid details surrounding his wife’s death. With this shocking revelation during the first 15 minutes of the play, the audience is left dumbfounded as Jess (played by Millie Deere) and David’s stories unfold through a counter-chronological timeline. Characters from their lives weave in and out of the narrative through snippets, with the play being composed of scattered vignettes that the characters and audience alike are trying to piece together.
Everything was brilliantly executed, but this play is hard to watch, not only because of its subject-matter but also because of the way it unfolds. There’s a lot of emotional energy that goes into seeing the story of these two people as they get broken by societal pressure, money, and death. This is a powerful look into how capitalism is seeping into our relationships with others and with ourselves, and it is not one that should be taken lightly.
