The movement of the actors, however, bespeak a wonderful appreciation of spatiality.
Evidently, a lot of thought has been put into producing this show. Taking place at an underground bar, with intermittent acapella singing that haunts even the most well-adjusted mind, there is unmistakably a Dantesque aspect to it all. In this respect, the duo (Ben Moore and Matthew Rothwell) does not disappoint – they are imposing and convincing.
The play grapples with spirituality and psychology ranging from Zen Buddhism to continental philosophy, regularly delivering lengthy mantras on how living in contemporary society moulds a person into “replicate roles and replicated careers”. However, it has a tendency to be excessively confessional. At times, the two characters seem to devolve into alternating monologues that effectively patronise the audience whose attention has cause to wander adrift. This habit is not helped by the fact that the play moves at a uniform slow pace.
The movement of the actors, however, bespeak a wonderful appreciation of spatiality. In addition the choreography is a nice foil, a saving grace in fact, for a largely indulgent play of the mind.
Clearly the actors have considerable potential. It’s slightly unfortunate that they are consigned to a script that seems to be more textbook than playbook and one that should be more conscientiously composed for the stage.
