Leicester Square Theatre, London
****
Marking a fantastic directorial debut from Libertine
Productions’ Noah James, Stop Kiss is the touching story of two
friends-turned-lovers whose time is unexpectedly cut short after a violent
attack sparked by their first kiss.
As the play opens, the soundscape swells; we vaguely catch
notes of ambulance sirens tangled within the sounds of a city. Noah James
establishes the play’s bleak forecast with perfect subtlety before stealing our
attention away to the playful first scene where we are greeted by the blasting
music of Callie’s messy New York apartment. Set in the bustle of New York, the
piece works perfectly tucked away in the heart of London at the Leicester
Square Theatre. It is the ideal snapshot into the personal lives of two
ordinary women caught up in a life-changing event fuelled by homophobic
violence. The characters are highly memorable and their compelling story is
riddled with unexpected humour and tenderness.
Diana Son’s script slips back and forth between the growing
stages of friendship between Callie and Sara, and the distressing aftermath of
an attack on the women after they exchange their first kiss in a public park in
New York City’s West Village. Olivia Hunter carries the play, giving a charming
performance as traffic-reporting nutty New Yorker, Callie; who, beneath
deliciously awkward wit, has moments of genuine poignancy. She bounds across
the stage with tremendous confidence, as the audience titter at her wide-eyed
panic whenever the doorbell rings. She handles this highly energetic character
effortlessly, pinning down believable sporadic mannerisms that ensure the
humour flows naturally.
Rae Brogan, who plays Sara, appears (initially) to be the
more natural of the two - her lines are less jarring and close attention has
been given to her comic timing. The exchanges between the two women are
extremely humourous and sincere, which startles us even more during the
stirring scenes that are set after the incident that renders Sara wheelchair
bound. Brogan becomes distressingly lifeless as she is pushed between scenes,
convincing as the comatosed Sara, making Hunter’s monologues all the more
heart-rending as Callie gently tends to her lover.
A further notable performance comes from Jamael Westman who
plays Callie’s on/off ‘friends with benefits’ ex-boyfriend, George. Westman
carries off this lovable Laddish slob with great ease, allowing for
affectionate exchanges with Hunter and sharp quick-fire banter opposite Brogan.
For the most part the play is amusing and heart-felt, although moments of
weakness arise during scenes featuring the supporting roles. Some of the dry
humour between Georgia Buchanan (who plays Detective Cole) and Hunter feels
comparatively flat, failing to match the overall style of the play. The
intended audience response is sometimes unclear during these exchanges, whereas
the humour comes naturally in the surrounding scenes. This results in moments
of performance that could, unfortunately, be misinterpreted as gauche or
wooden. Similarly, interactions amongst further supporting roles such as Peter
(Sara’s ex boyfriend, played by Seb Blunt) and Mrs Winsley (a witness to the
crime, played by Victoria Kempton) also lacked the emotional detail and
connection that is so strong between Hunter and Brogan, thus these crucial
scenes fall a little short. Nevertheless, the cast is strong and the slight
exploration faults regarding character attention are only noticeable
occasionally.
The growing relationship between the two female leads is
funny and inescapably moving. We are invested in the characters from the word
go and our concerns about their outcome develop with every scene. Stop Kiss is
a thoroughly engaging play, telling the story of how the lives of two ordinary
friends living in New York can be shaken to breaking point in the shadow of
mindless violence.
This production runs until 9 March 2013.
For more information: http://leicestersquaretheatre.ticketsolve.com/shows/873487975/events
@LSQTheatre @StopKissPlay
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