In the past, I have often commented on the limiting factor of static shows that give the appearance of sit-coms - where two characters just sit and tell us what's happening, and nothing really happens. Kieron Barry’s Spy for Spy is an example of how these types of shows can be an enjoyable, entertaining and emotional experience for us.
Anyone going to see this show is in for a real treat
Spy for Spy follows the relationship trajectory of Molly (Olive Gray) and Sarah (Amy Lennox), as they deal and progress through the ups and downs of their relationship. Before the show starts, members of the audience are invited to choose the order that the scenes will be performed in, which changes the nature of the show and its themes; the randomness of life and the nature of the ‘shuffle’ are a motif that is played throughout. It’s an opportunity to view relationships through a new lens depending on the order we see onstage. Barry’s script is very clever, because depending on the order of the scenes themselves, certain lines act as either foreshadowing or a call-back, occasionally learing about events and inside-jokes before seeing their origin. With Lucy Jane Atkinson’s direction, we become flies on the wall of intimate and private moments that break through the 4th wall, affecting us directly by the sense of reality that the performance evokes throughout. Atkinson’s direction and Barry’s writing makes the relationship between Molly and Sarah as the foundation of the show, and in doing so manages to explore rejection, addiction, illness and grief maturely and sensitively, without cheapening the issues by using them as a dog-whistle.
The action is contained by the aesthetically pleasing pastel of Bethia Jane Green’s design. The complimentary colours of the set have an understated sense of luxury that allows for an interchangeability between settings and scenes without too much fuss. The different colours on the walls bring light into the show and give the impression that the actors have more space nd than they actually do. Each characters’ costume matches their personality; Molly is in natural, earthy tones and loose clothing whilst Sarah is practically entirely in pink, the layers giving the actors room to easily change their costumes’ level of formality depending on the scene. The only thing that appears out of place in the entire design is the gun on Molly’s necklace- it seems out of character for her to be pro-gun (considering she seems to be the more liberal, free-spirited of the pair), and considering the show is set in California, is a loaded political statement that is borderline insensitive and is a clear misunderstanding of the cultural context.
Gray and Lennox show us something real onstage, there’s a real emotional intimacy in their performance that we would only otherwise see in real life. Everything that they do is completely natural, from Gray’s happy go lucky, free spirited ways to Lennox’s high strung and frazzled performance. They both have a huge emotional range, adding humour and gravity to the scenes as they come. It is Gray and Lennox’s performance that makes Spy for Spy what it is. The pair show us love and tenderness in ways that go beyond physical intimacy, which is the hallmark of a great love story.
Spy for Spy is a really simple story, but that simplicity reallyl lets the actors and design shine as they bring everything to life. During this show, we become really immersed in the story, in the characters, in how pleasant and calming the set is. Anyone going to see this show is in for a real treat.
