“If music be the food of love…”
Tonight’s preview of ‘Play On’ was a script-in-hand rehearsal is one of the first previews in advance of the production’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe run in August.
Written and produced by Erin Boulter, ‘Play On’ is a dark comedy following two siblings in the aftermath of their mother’s funeral. Sebastian (known as Ash, played by Erin) and Ophelia (known as Lea, played by Rebekka Pewterbaw).
Thrust into an escape room to uncover their mother’s will, the siblings navigate clues with ties to their Shakespearian names, and scrutinise their relationships with each other, and their mother.
Lea, the elder by 10 years, is the archetypal responsible and academic eldest daughter, seemingly destined to follow in their mother’s hallowed footsteps, whereas Ash, is, erm, not. From the outset, the snippy snarky conversations between two close, but very different, siblings, will be instantly familiar to those who have that lived experience. The characters already felt well-established, and the unveiling of the family dynamic in their early years was sensitively handled. Nonetheless, it will be curious to see if and how the characters may develop further over the coming months as the actors relax into their roles.
The Shakespearean elements are a key focal point of the production, but the references are deftly explained, and supplemented by a brief but informative handout, so there’s no need to fear if your Hamlet or Twelfth Night references aren’t up to scratch. This is an impressive piece to have so early on in the show’s development, and this attention to detail also be seen in the sparse but pertinent props already in place too.
There are still some areas of rawness that will mature over time – having the script in hand often means a faster than usual delivery, which was apparent here and would have benefitted with some longer pauses to let the dialogue breathe. However, this is also understandable, given the timing pressure that accompanies a Fringe run. I felt there was perhaps some repetition when Lea and Ash were voicing their issues with past hurts and their family roles, which might benefit from some editing, and allow some breathing time too.
With such a strong foundation at this stage, ‘Play On’ looks set to be an absorbing and thought-provoking prospect in its final form. The unique and darkly comic circumstances, combined with deft writing and engaging performances, means this should be one to watch in August.
Play On will run at Venue 29, Paradise in the Vault from August 13-24 (no show on the 17), at 13:05.
The production can be found on Instagram @play_on_fringe