A charming tale of two sisters reuniting after twelves years. But are they able to come together again and let go of the past, or will it repeat itself?
*Some spoilers below*
As we enter the Jack studio, we see the stage with minimal set. Two chairs, a table and a few taped up boxes. As the lights go up, two figures enter the stage, it is raining and cold, one figure expresses how they are cold and would like to come inside. This conversation goes on for a while, until finally, the other character lets them inside. Once indoors we discover the two characters are in fact sisters who haven’t seen each other for twelve years.
As the story continues we see Jess, played by Emma Riches, continue to push Sarah, portrayed by Lisa Minichello, for conversation. It is uncomfortable and awkward as the two attempt to navigate this bizarre reunion. The back and forth becomes repetitive with Jess failed attempts at small talk and Sarah responding with “I don’t know’ for the majority of the conversation. It is clear the shock of not seeing her sister for twelve years has affected Sarah and she is not sure how to compose herself.
As time passes and the rain continues to pour, we see Jess try to liven up the mood between the two. In a funny moment, she reaches into her backpack and pulls out multiple bottles of booze. She ends up pulling about 15 bottles of spirits whilst also saying, “I’m not an alcoholic.” Initially this gag was funny, but I feel like the longer it was dragged out the more ridiculous it became and therefore the less authentic it was. We understand that Jess may be an alcoholic, but it didn’t need to be milked so much.
The two have a lovely tension between each other which explains the time they’ve spent apart whilst highlighting their deep rooted relationship as sisters. There are some lovely moments where they reminisce together and remember how they used to be. However they are pulled back into reality with one sister having looked after their sick mum whilst the other left without a word.
As the drinks flow and Jess offers a bag of drugs to help lift the mood, we see how the pain between these two has affected them deeply. The use of light and music helped elevate these feelings however I feel that the music was overused and began slightly eggy. The conversations become repetitive with Jess trying to invite her sister to open up and Sarah still not feeling comfortable with her sister showing up out of the blue. The actor’s did a great job with the script, however I feel like they were not helped with the repetitiveness of the dialogue. At times it felt like nothing was happening between the two and the small talk became repetitive and slow.
The show has some lovely moments of showing their relationship however I felt like this was lost in the repetitiveness of the dialogue and the forceful nature of the music. Even though the script has been cut from one hour fifty five to a ninety minute piece, part of me feels that there are more cuts to be had to make the story flow and connect to the audience more.
Sparks was a touching portrayal of two sisters rekindling after some time. The direction was smart and helped the audience connect with the two characters. There could have been some more nuances found by the actors. All in all a lovely show and one which I believe with some more work can be something thought provoking.