The choreography and movement are slickly done.
Unfortunately the work from most of this troupe is a mixture of completely unconnected and over-the-top acting. None of the actors work together as an ensemble and everyone is concerned with their own role, to the detriment of the company.
The possible exceptions to this rule were Joe Allen, Rory Dadswell and Ruth Parker. Dadswell as Oscar is an eminently dislikeable character and very detached – however he played this to form. It is feasible that Parker’s role had been characterised to represent her alienation as a character, but with the rest of the cast acting as they did, this just further detracts from any belief in the story.
Though the choreography and movement are slickly done, the script leaves a lot to be desired – obviously a lot of work has gone into it and the concept of the fractured family is an interesting take, but some of the lines are simply cheesy. If the acting was improved, it could potentially work, but it’s hard to see past these problems as they are.
The set however is beautiful. The cosy nature of the show – there were probably no more than a dozen of us in the audience – is artistically a treat. The up-close and personal nature of the show would do wonders for audience immersion, if the performances didn’t get in the way.
