I have a confession to make: I did not plan on attending this performance. Originally I had planned to go see another play about people suffering from insomnia. I actually ended up at this small play called ‘Til Death Do Us Apart, written and performed by Swedish theatre company Nya Paraplyteatern (that means New Umbrella Theatre for those of you who don’t speak Swedish). I am not proud of how long it took me to realise I was actually at the wrong performance, but putting that aside, making this mistake was probably the best mistake that I have made this year.
Although at the start the acting seems uncomfortable and almost awkward, the actors soon settle into the performance. It is important to take into account the theme of this show: a woman suffering domestic violence at the hands of her new boyfriend – a theme that you could hardly call an actor’s “comfort zone”, and the director (Emma Wellsflät) later said that the performance challenged the actors “both physically and mentally”. Charlotta Lakeshore’s performance is outstanding as Sam, a young woman being abused by her boyfriend Denny. At first the two are inseparable and seem to be very much in love, but soon Sam discovers that Denny is nowhere near the dream boyfriend that she had thought he was. The storyline, whilst mainly focusing on the rollercoaster relationship between Sam and Denny, also follows Sam’s friends, in particular her best friend Ashley and Ashley’s longing for her friend Lucas, who is already in a relationship. Even with the addition of this love triangle, the story is easy to follow and just as heart-wrenchingly intertwined as any popular love story. This piece raises many questions throughout the play that desperately need answering: will Lucas return Ashley’s feelings for him? Will Sam ever leave Denny?
Sadly the theatre company does not have any more dates planned for the UK any time soon and their short stint at IYAF is over. However, I still feel privileged that I was able to watch the performance as I was moved almost to tears by this realistic and exciting piece. Those who know me know that it takes one hell of a show to bring me with my heart of icy-cold stone to tears: seriously, I laughed when (spoiler alert) the dog died in Marley and Me. This exceptional performance keeps you on the edge of your seat to the end and will have anyone with similar experiences to anyone in the play reaching for their nearest pack of Kleenex. If you do manage to catch a performance of this show, then trust me, you’ll be needing them.
