Review: AS WE FACE THE SUN, Bush Theatre

The Bush Theatre’s commitment to new work doesn’t merely include scouting for playwrights to champion. Set up during the pandemic as a response to the sudden halt of the community, the Bush Young Companies harbour an extraordinary amount of gifted performers. Artistic Director Lynette Linton and Katie Greenall co-direct an original project by Kit Withington written specially for the occasion.

As We Face The Sun is a tender coming-of-age story that explores the role of friendship, unknotting growing pains and the sorrows of letting go. It’s incredibly valuable practice for the budding actors. The problem at the core of the result, however, is that Withington tries too hard to crystallise the noughties teenager experience. When Leila dies in an unfortunate accident during a school trip, her classmates are wrecked.

Her death becomes the sword of Damocles in their lives. Year after year they gather to celebrate her birthday just like they did back in Year 10. Nothing ever changes, except that everything does. The company are an exuberant, excited lot but for the moments when reality kicks in and they are reminded of what happened to their friend. It’s an imperfect, reflective look at a pivotal point in their collective loss of innocence, but it’s too long for its own sake.

The text has a tendency to reiterate the energetic joy of youth through a cracking soundtrack. From Jason Derulo to Jessie J and Pixie Lott, while it’s a great throwback, it’s a bit much when you combine it with the overdone nostalgia of the script. The characters constantly speak in a direct address to the crowd, almost as a letter to Leila’s memory. Understandably, they tend to slip into up-speak, but give confident performances nonetheless.

Linton and Greenall have assembled a strong, fearless cast. Some of them are clearly further along in their acting journey, but they all get a chance to shine. The production definitely throws many of them on the map. The directors craft an excellent ensemble piece, giving their actors precise tracks that allow them to create movement. The frenzy of the visuals is put into perspective with arresting spots of stillness, a visual representation of what their loss did to them.

Ultimately, it’s one of those shows that matter in an ephemeral way. It’s a wonderful showcase of what the Bush are doing to secure the future of theatre, but the play itself could be better. Scenes could be tightened and made less about trying to display the young talent and more about the story itself. But, in this case, it does the job.

As We Face The Sun runs at the Bush Theatre until 26 August.

Photo Credit: Harry Elletson

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