Unnatural Acting

Unnatural Acts

(2007)
Unnatural Productions and Richard Jordan Productions Ltd
Gilded Balloon. 1-27 August. 17:20 (1hr10)

Marsha (Jessica Martin) and Elliot (Jason Wood) are flatmates. He’s gay and pushing forty. She’s still in love with her ex, and is devastated to discover he is sticking by his new girlfriend because he has got her pregnant. Marsha really, really wants a baby because, of course, a childless woman is the saddest thing on earth. Though not as sad as being gay and forty, apparently: “for gay men life never climaxes, it just sort of peters out”. Guess where this plot is heading.

Chris Bartlett and Nick Awde have written quite an interesting script which has potential to be funny. I say potential, because as performed by these two, laughs are thin on the ground. I have to say that this appeared to be the most under-rehearsed show I’ve seen in the last four weeks, at least that’s the excuse I’m making for them. Dropped cues, lines fluffed, trampling over each other’s laughs and lines, no sense of playing the audience or comic timing. What was director David Giles doing in the rehearsal studio?

The script has some interesting things to say about friendship and the way men and women relate to each other, but for me the way they fall out big time after they have sex for the first time was contrived and forced. It builds to an interesting idea for the climax – whether or not Marsha turns out to be pregnant is in doubt and could potentially decide whether they remains friends, but again there is a distinct lack of tension and suspense.

What it has nothing new to say about is what it is like to be gay in the twenty first century. Wood’s Elliot is a mincing monster, totally obsessed with cocks and bums and by the fact he’s getting old and therefore staring at loneliness. He seems to accept that this is to be the lot of gay men everywhere, and is surprised when an eighteen-year-old boy chats him up in a bar. He’s outraged that said teenager thinks Steps sang the original version of Tragedy and not the Bee Gees. “What did you do?” asks Marsha. “I fucked him anyway” comes the reply.

Makes one proud to be gay. [Robin T. Barton]

show info

Unnatural Acts
Unnatural Productions and Richard Jordan Productions Ltd

Director:
David Giles

Theatre:
Gilded Balloon
Preview Aug 1-3: 17:20(1hr 10mins) £6.00 Aug 4,7-9,13-14,16,20-23,27: 17:20(1hr 10mins) £9.50(£8.50) Aug 5-6: 17:20(1hr 10mins) £9.50 Aug



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