Written by: Elodie Vidal (@ElodieVidal)
Jack Studio Theatre, Brockley
**
Carbon Dating knows how to hook its audience. The play goes off to
a great start, featuring audience involvement, an intriguing stage design and
dynamic directing; unfortunately, it struggles to live up to expectations as
the play goes on.
Playwright Ron Elisha presents
the dating shenanigans of eleven interconnected individuals. Chloe (Laura
Evelyn), Giselle (Morwenna Loughman), Sienna (Helena Doughty), and Nel
(Caroline George) attempt to move on from the perfect Stewart (Igor Medeiros);
Lola (Lauren Harvey) seeks a soul compatible to her own; Chase is after the
trophy wife that will show his Armani suits to advantage. Under the disgruntled
eye of waiter Damien (Will Parrott), they will face a range of embarrassing
situations that will lead them to wonder whether the search for ‘the one’
really is worth it all.
By the time the daters take the
stage, Carbon Dating has already aroused
its audience’s curiosity. Before entering the auditorium, spectators are
enjoined to announce their dating status with stickers of different colours.
Parrott then welcomes them inside in character, using the stickers to interact
with newcomers. The set design, a restaurant with a very unusual menu of Specials,
adds the finishing touch to the fun atmosphere. Right after the cast makes its
entrance however, buzzing across the stage in their anxious preparations for a
date night, the pressure falls. Director John Fricker suddenly adopts a very
static style of staging that mainly consists of couples sitting at tables. The
stickers are forgotten. The Specials menu lies neglected. The production
settles into a routine.
Elisha’s text itself might
contribute to this loss of energy, for it, too, fails to honour its promises. Trapping
characters in the dating circuit is not a new premise, but one that nonetheless
retains potential for character development and a discussion of love and
society. Elisha, however, chooses to ignore this potential. His characters
never learn or grow, with the possible exception of Lola who hints at a change
in her final line. What’s more, the play’s presentation of dating is too
traditional to bring anything new to a discussion of love in the 21st
century. Notably, homosexuality only appears in the last scene, and is posited as
an obstacle to successful dating. Without any true depth of character or
subtext, the piece becomes a succession of scenes that hovers between play and
comedy night.
On the other hand, the play’s
shortcomings allow for a focus on performance, and the company rises to the
occasion. The Laura Evelyn-Noah James pair is the perfect introduction to the
night as it depicts a clash of insecurities. Harvey shines as Lola, winning the
audience over with her charming naïveté. Each personality is so vivid as to
become instantly recognisable, and to create anticipation for the next
encounter.
All in all, with its uneven
directing, simplistic characters and outdated representation of dating, Carbon Dating never fulfils its true
potential, but its cast still succeeds in showing their audience a good time.
This production runs until 1 December 2012.
For more information: http://www.brockleyjack.co.uk/brockley_jack_studio_whats_on.html
@BrocJackTheatre
1 comment:
Carbon dating is cool! I found it nice and just heard about it..I would also like to share about how nice Magnetic dating also..
Post a Comment