Leftovers

Leftovers follows the story of a young woman Elizabeth and her tragic experiences of the break-out of war. Though it is told using an exciting mix of physical theatre and intriguing storytelling, the acting unfortunately falls short of the lofty goals of this piece.

The play is a story of relationships, gender and loss and confronting lies that we tell to protect ourselves.

Gabrielle Sheppard on occasion has beautiful moments and Lily Burton shows promise, though she seemed to have trouble making eye contact with Sheppard in some of the scenes. Rory Key’s performance seems largely disconnected and lacking in variation between roles – it feels as though he is overly concerned with his performance rather than just living it. It may be that the cast had an off day, but in general there was a lot of assertive ‘acting’ and not much truthfulness in the portrayals.

The script is strong nonetheless, and the concept is beautifully crafted. The use of the physical theatre is done tastefully and largely well performed by the cast, though further choreography and fine tuning would benefit the show. It is a brave piece played enthusiastically by the troop, who do put in a lot of effort. Further work on the script could also benefit production, but the main issue is the acting department.

The play is a story of relationships, gender and loss and confronting lies that we tell to protect ourselves. It has a beautifully moving tale at its core and it is a shame that this has not come to fruition.