The 11:87 Theatre Company’s debut at the Fringe is a new musical following the lives of Sophie and George as they are guided by both angels and demons. This piece is accompanied by a small band compiled of Don Holdernesse on guitar and mandolin, and Ellen Casey on cello.
This production may be flawed but shows the highs and lows of relationships through their original music.
The Way It Is follows the story of a couple who fall in love through the aid of Sophie’s angel (Charlotte Early). However, all is not well as a demon, Demo (as played by John Casey), strives to earn his horns by infecting her man, George (Robert Maksymowicz). Sophie then becomes a victim of gaslighting as George, under Demo’s influence, guilt trips her and drags her through the courts and she loses her grip on life.
This is a complex story and, while an important watch, the narrative arc seems a little uncertain as the play jumps through time quite clumsily with weak transitions. The use of a demon character to alter George’s personality is quite uncomfortable as it almost leaves the impression that the demon is an excuse for George’s bad treatment towards Sophie (Jessie Waterfield).
However, the comedy from the devil (Don Crear) is strong and the more serious scenes are well staged. A powerful moment is certainly the court scene with the use of voice overs loudly declaring the verdict on custody. The characterisation is solid if a little two dimensional as dramatic lines are sometimes over exaggerated.
The songs are generally quite repetitive though performed with expression and passionate delivery. On the other hand, the pretty duet between the angel and Sophie is stunning and their voices merge beautifully together making this number a highlight in the performance. At times, the actors dance including a small tap duet between Maksymowicz and Waterfield, though their movements seem lacking in enthusiasm throughout the dance.
This production may be flawed but shows the highs and lows of relationships through their original music.
