Three short plays within one hour make up a triptych of twenty-one year old existentialism. Writer and director Ash Rowbin and the Never Properly Born Theatre Company present the first piece of angst-ridden teenage drama that I have ever enjoyed or taken remotely seriously. Dedicated to ‘truthful and perceptive new writing’, Never Properly Born present a selection of intimate dialogues at the Tristan Bates Theatre, a studio performance space seating around sixty people.
Set up by Sir Alan Bates in memory of his late son, the Tristan Bates Theatre is part of the Actors’ Centre in Covent Garden, which exists as a place for actors to workshop and network. It is a fitting venue, therefore, for Never Properly Born’s first production. Founded by Ash Rowbin at the beginning of this year who ‘found the industry wanting’ regarding its approach to young actors, Never Properly Born’s Shelter features an impressive cast consisting of former RADA and LAMDA students, as well as current NYT members.
‘Strangers’, the first play of the three, features Lizzie MacGregor and Oliver Cudbill, who both give equally strong performances as two strangers meeting at a university open day. Cudbill excels as twenty-one year old Jeremy, exuding charm and laid back arrogance in equal measure. MacGregor’s performance effectively examines the teenage tendency to fall back on flirtation when meeting someone new, providing more of a portrait than a critique.
‘Lovers’ explores the theme of planning for the future versus living in the present, and the struggles of finding the balance between the two. These issues are personified by the relationship of Luke (Jamal Lowe) and Emily (Samantha Sherratt). Sherratt and Lowe work well in these roles individually, although together there is a slight lack of chemistry which detracts from the overall effect.
‘Lost Friends’, the final, and perhaps the most affecting of all three plays, presents three friends dealing with moving on from university life. Bexie Archer gives a particularly strong performance as the highly-strung, passive aggressive Claire, whose character works well in contrast with Andrew (Matthew Simpson).
What delivers Shelter from the problems of disjointed narrative is the overriding theme which brings the three plots together. The strong script and the cast of seven actors work well together to depict the complications of youth with startling accuracy.
Shelter is poignant and relevant, drawing on the deep-set worries and insecurities of its young audience to create a piece of fresh and thought-provoking drama.
