A life affirming show about the end of the world
David Brady’s 75 minute exploration of a man’s life in the face of the apocalypse has some touching moments, and some strong performances, however does not quite hit the heights it has the potential to hit.
And If the Surface Tension Breaks follows Charlie (Conor Rowlett), in the final moments before the world ends, as he reflects on key choices he made in his life. He is led through this journey by three mystical figures, India (Kitty Evans), Tango (Emily O’Mahoney) and Kilo (Ben Watts) who are part therapists and part adversaries, as they take on the roles of key figures in his life. The performances were strong across the board, the four actors each getting moments to shine as individuals. Particular praise goes to Rowlett whose depiction of the neurotic Charlie shines, as he connects with the audience. The scene between Rowlett and O’Mahoney towards the end of the play was beautiful.
The play is split into sequences set in various locations including a train station, a museum and a night club. Despite the limitation of space, Proforca does a good job of combining the abilities of the actors and technicians to sell each of the locations to the audience. The concept is strong, and Brady has worked hard to create an apocalypse story that centres the individual.
Though the script sometimes verges into after school special territory with a strong emphasis on what the lessons from a life half lived are, there are also moments of real emotional honesty. The sequence with Charlie and his father and the social worker are exceptional. One is left wishing that the story had started faster and that more space was given to exploring the interpersonal relationships between Charlie and the other important figures of his life. One feels like there were missed opportunities, particularly in terms of Charlie’s relationship with women. Whilst the dramatic scenes were largely very good, many of the attempts at humour fell more flat.While it dragged at parts, there was a lot to enjoy about the show.
This show would not be as effective as it is without the spectacular technical design. Proforça and technical director Gregory Jordan have managed to transform the fairly small space above the Lion and Unicorn with beautiful and effective lighting, sound and projection design. The show was more technically complex than one may expect for a pub venue. As the audience filters in to the show a series of numbers with captions are shown on a loop, when they return in the play they are massively effective due to the symbiotic relationship between technician and performer.
There is nothing particularly groundbreaking about the message of the show, however a reminder to live openly and honestly is never a bad thing to walk away with. Ultimately Proforça have succeeded in creating a life affirming show about the end of the world.
I saw this tonight… Well worth a visit. A rumination on lost opportunity, lost love, and the benefits of living without fear. I’m keen to see what Proforca do next.