A captivating journey of life giving you unpredictable lemons
Bitter Lemons, a two-hander by writer Lucy Hayes, follows the contrasting though skilfully interlinked stories of two young women, both newly promoted, fizzing with nerves in anticipation of the biggest professional challenges of their careers to date. The first, a professional goalkeeper (Chanel Waddock) dealing with the grief of losing her father, and the second, an ambitious banker (Shannon Hayes) navigating tokenism in the professional world. By the end of the first act the sales pitch and football pitch collide as their lives meet in parallel.
Lucy Hayes excels in her role as writer/director, demonstrating exceptional skill in crafting the characters of two well-rounded women. Through their struggles, strengths, dreams, and flaws, she leads us through this moment in their lives and the challenge of unexpected pregnancy and further challenges of abortion. Lucy adeptly represents the reality of the pressures on women and overarching societal power without imposing excessive commentary or forcefully shaping the audience opinions. Her work paints a clear and compelling depiction of two women making autonomous decisions about their bodies and lives.
A strong highlight of the piece is the outstanding set design (Roisin Martindle), lighting design (Ed Saunders), and sound design (Hattie North), which truly showcase the talent of a great creative team, alongside associate designer (Lucy Ruff), stage manager (Anastasia Booth), rehearsal stage manager (Lucy Ventham), production manager (Han Sayles) and set builder (Erdogan Damdelen). The multipurpose blocks, grid design, and a backdrop reveal of sterile reality creates a simple yet effective backdrop for this 60-minute two-hander, with the light and sound design expertly guiding the audience through the main transitions.
The play leads the audience through a captivating journey of life giving you unpredictable lemons, however culminates with a somewhat unnecessary twist (twist being used loosely as anyone paying attention looking for connections would not have needed it spelled out). Nonetheless, a smooth and well-crafted piece overall.
Chanel Waddock radiates vitality, dynamism, and strength through her character AJ, expertly captivating us in her moments of heartbreak. Her exceptional physical presence and ability to embody various personas within her story is highly commendable, creating a seamless and exhilarating narrative to connect with.
Shannon Hayes also guides us through her emotionally demanding journey as Angelina, navigating the blurred lines between professional and personal relationships with skill. She convincingly captures the vitality of the highs and the heartache of her lows. However, her portrayal of the other characters in her world falls short, rendering this half of the play less clear and her character less convincing.
Having already picked up the Pleasance Edinburgh National Partnership award in association with the Bristol Old Vic, and shortlisted for the Pitch Your Play award with Masterclass and Theatre Royal Haymarket, and the Popcorn Award in association with the BBC Writers room, it is clear that the play has already received some well-deserved attention, in affect bringing it here, to the Park90 space in Park Theatre, London.
Bitter Lemons runs till Saturday 14th September 2024. Evening performances are at 7:45pm, and Thursdays and Saturdays hold matinees at 3:15pm. There will also be a dementia friendly performance on Thursday 5th September at 3:15pm. Running at 60 minutes.