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Detached

 
Caitlin Hobbs Review by Caitlin Hobbs 2 Published: 20 Aug 2015 theSpace on the Mile Show Dates: 17 Aug 2015-29 Aug 2015

Lucy (Sarah-Beth Brown) is lonely, so to work out where she’s going wrong, she shows us some climactic moments from her previous relationships. BOX Revolution work towards putting on gender non-specific work, and the piece benefits from this initiative – rather than being pigeonholed as male or female characters, the writing allows Lucy and all three of her partners to become real people, free from typically gendered conceits.

The actors show accomplished performances across the board.

Writer Tom Moriarty has a talent for realistic conversational scenes, but this is perhaps one of the flaws of the piece: it’s difficult to remain interested in the mundane, everyday scenarios. All three of Lucy’s flashbacks feature her arguing with each partner, and if there’s anything that’s tedious to listen to, it’s other couple’s arguments. There’s an enjoyable reality at the beginning of each flashback but there’s not a lot to keep the audience invested in any character.

This problem mostly comes to a head when it regards protagonist and narrator Lucy. She speaks directly to the audience about her loneliness, but we can see clearly through each flashback that she’s not a likeable person – she’s immature, impulsive and self-centred. It’s hard to feel sorry for her, or to relate to her and open up to thinking further about the play’s themes. Loneliness is a universal issue, true, but you’d be hard pushed to find an audience member who willingly compares themselves to Lucy, no matter how lonely they are.

However, it’s no reflection on Sarah-Beth Brown’s performance that Lucy is dislikable - if anything, it’s a credit to her to create a character real enough to become that grating within the short 45-minute period. The supporting actors also show accomplished performances across the board, and the piece comes to life especially during Moriarty’s scenes as Daithi, Lucy’s third partner - he’s both warm and vulnerable, and shows gorgeous comic timing.

BOX Revolution clearly have the right skill set for creating a compelling piece of theatre. Unfortunately, it seems they’ve put too much focus on a message with Detached, rather than creating an engaging experience for the audience.

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The Blurb:

Have you ever felt alone? Felt that you were singled out for sadness and constant heartache? Happiness is not found outside of us, yet we are programmed to believe it is, making self sabotage inevitable. Through Lucy’s brutal dissection of three failed relationships, Detached explores and destroys the lies that society feeds us about life. BOX Revolution returns to the Edinburgh Fringe after debuting two gender non-specific productions of new writing in 2014. Driven to create a powerful and honest live performance, Detached combines music, movement and truthful acting in a beautifully raw look at human connection.