The Honeymoon

On my way into this show at Bedlam Theatre, the young man in front of me commented that he thought that the two actors we were about to see were the most talented that his university had produced. Once in the show, it was easy to see what he meant. RashDash Productions are recent graduates from the University of Hull, Abbi Greenland and Helen Goalen, who collaborate on this show with singer songwriter Becky Wilkie.As we enter the theatre a young woman (Wilkie) plays a keyboard at the back of the stage, creating an immediate atmosphere. As the lights go down, the show opens with a duet in which we discover that Charlotte and Sophie have run away from their weddings, convinced that their dreams of married bliss were false. Charlotte and Sophie had been due to marry friends, and have an uneasy relationship themselves. As the production unfolds we go on what starts as a journey of liberation, turning through joyful to dark, as the women revel in the decision they have made to change their lives. This is physical theatre. There’s dancing, fighting and wrestling, making use of the whole of the stage. These are talented performers taking on huge emotional range, using acting, movement and singing, with the live music from Wilkie adding depth to the show. Overall, Greenland and Goalen have taken on a significant challenge in developing this production, and have succeeded in creating a show that looks great, tackles big issues facing women and is performed exuberantly.While the narrative was strong, with the creation of two strong, believable female characters, I did struggle a little with a plot twist towards the end. That said, it sets up the conclusion of the show, which is beautifully handled, and looked stunning on stage. I expect that we will see more of RashDash in future, and will certainly be adding them to my list of ‘must see’ companies for future Fringes.It’s also worth mentioning that Bedlam Theatre is an excellent space, a year round theatre with comfy seats. With tickets for this show an amazingly good value £4-6 there’s no excuse not to check it out.