Review: FOR YOUR TWENTIES, The Etcetera Theatre

The purpose of Fringe theatre pieces is to grow, develop, and showcase the passion that budding creatives have in an environment that nurtures it. More often than not, these stories take place close to home - stories that inhabit the everyday lives of humans. For Your Twenties by clip2thecurtain productions is the definition of that. A piece with a lot of potential, and the passion to grow it.

Written and directed by Sophie Banning, For Your Twenties tells of how classism and prejudice have rewired our brains, how your 20s are there to live wildly, and how sometimes you just have to let your friends make mistakes for them to grow. 

The piece is a four-hander centring around Sarah and Nick, played by Amy Bloomfield and Samson Hughes. Sarah is a nurse for the NHS. Her Northern, working-class roots have led her to join the profession on a basis of empathy and having a passion to help. She meets middle-upper-class Nicholas when he manages to staple his fingers together at work. The newly engaged (albeit after six or so months) couple meet with Nick’s younger sister Minty (Caitlen Cray), an influencer and stereotypical London rich girl, for a dinner party. Sarah invites her best friend Seb (Alie Tarawalie) to join as a safety cushion. 

The piece does include moments of physical theatre towards the start, but fades it out as the story begins to develop. At times it is a little unclear as to why the movement is included, as Banning’s dialogue is strong and preferable over the movement. It is a stylistic choice that, if developed, could grow with more depth and purpose. 

Banning’s script is clear when spoken, and the monologues delivered by Seb were some of the most encapsulating parts script-wise. Her ability to form clear connections is strong, seen in the chemistry between Nick and Sarah. The actors seem at peace with each other; there is a real bond there. Some moments seem a little improvised: perhaps they are? Perhaps they are too naturalistic in the portrayal? But the brief beats where the actors just simply exist in the space, rooted and grounded in their lines, are wonderful to watch.

Bloomfield is a class act. Her monologue (that consisted of about five words repeated in different combinations) has the most heartbreaking emotional depth to it. Audiences hang onto her every word as the thick Northern accent slices through the music surrounding her. She is a young woman in turmoil. She has to make the mistakes herself. A star for sure. 

Hughes embodied the role of the middle-class young man whose heart is conflicted really well. It is clear from his portrayal that Nick had everything growing up, just never anything that truly meant something. Now he has Sarah, and in an attempt to never let her go, he proposes. Hughes’ naturalistic acting choices are compelling and suit the character wonderfully.

Cray and Tarawalie offer comedic relief and a different outlook into how your 20s could look. Their characters are larger in life than those of Nick and Sarah, and so it adds even more of a layer of enjoyment to their portrayal. A very talented duo.

For Your Twenties has real potential. The characters are refreshing, so is the ending. There is just so much further this piece can be taken with a cast and crew so clearly connected as this one. They are actively having fun on stage. Isn’t that what Fringe is all about?

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