EDINBURGH 2023: Review: LOVE IS BLUE, C Arts
Rock-solid performances don't ease the feeling that the piece needs dramaturgical work.
When Olly abandons his cold coffee on the street, Aaron, cold and hungry, picks it up, grateful. The well-off city trader strikes a conversation with the homeless 19-year-old and, in an act of surprising kindness, offers him a shower at his house. Don Cotter explores crucial subjects in a two-hander that’s just too artificial to hit the right spot. A tight direction by Prav MJ and impressive performances by Sam Walter and Andrew Ewart ease the shortcomings of the text, presenting two young men who are broken in different ways.
Walter is arrogant and guffawing as grieving Olly, who ambles between trying to make a connection and preserving his late boyfriend’s memory. On the other end, Ewart is a sweet presence, subdued by the sharp turn in his life and the lack of sleep that came with it. While the pair is, obviously, worlds apart, their exchanges sound the same. Overly lyrical passages and contrived turns of phrase don’t make this a naturally flowing text.
Quick blackouts over music acts as scene changes, helping with the pacing and moving the action in time, but Olly’s long direct addresses slow it down. Though it comes off as the only reason for the play to exist, the campaign remains an important subject. Cotter weaves religious homophobia and bereavement into this story of sudden homelessness and penance. It would make it an exciting, multi-faceted project to program, but it still has a long way to go.
Love Is Blue runs at C Cubed on the following dates: 11-13, 15-20, 22-27 August.
Get Broadway News on WhatsApp
Receive the latest updates, breaking news, and exclusive coverage from Broadway directly in WhatsApp.
|
Antigone 1989: A Town Hall Musical Gilded Balloon Patter House (8/05-8/29) |
|
Elvis in Chaos Lime Studio at Greenside @ George Street (8/07-8/15) |
|
One Man Poe: The Black Cat and The Raven Greenside Venue @ Riddles Court (Willow Studio) – Venue 16 - 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2PG (8/07-8/29) |
|
It's A Struggle Coming Out theSpace @ Niddry Street (8/08-8/13) |
|
Jerk Off! Underbelly (Dairy Room) (8/05-8/30) |
|
Heated Rivalry: The Musical Parody! Gilded Balloon Patter House - Other Yin (8/05-8/30) |
|
Tale of the Firebird Assembly Roxy (Central) (8/06-8/30) |
|
The New Year Lime Studio Greenside@George Street (8/07-8/15) |
|
Trainspotting The Musical Alhambra Theatre (3/01-3/06) |
|
An Ode to the Casting Director Assembly George Square Studios (8/05-8/29) |
Reader Reviews
To post a comment, you must register and login.