“A witty, humane introspection into the absurdities of grief”
The door to the Putney Arches venue was ajar enough to let in the noise of the people and traffic parading the bridge above it. Whether intentional or not, this little opening ushered in a bustling sense of the city Lucy Foley’s Flat 2 is set in, additionally allowing some ventilation on a particularly hot day. The show follows the grief of two flatmates found living alone together after both of their partners die in a freak accident after stealing a chicken shop rug. The set up itself is darkly comic, and in its absurdity, the real sounds of the city outside really did contribute to a heavy sense that after death most life really does just keep going on. In her writing, Foley not only tackles the topic of grief with a sense of humour, she illuminates the presence of humour after death, and the subsequent discomfort that brings.
Foley additionally does an excellent job playing Ava on stage. There is a subtlety in her performance found especially in those quiet moments between lines, whether it be in the way she holds her hands anxiously, or where she directs her eyes to at uncomfortable moments. Every choice made is precise and avoids cliche, something difficult do in a performance centring the well trodden ground of grief. Tom Ashen matches her wonderfully as Freddie. Particularly, a moment early on when Ava is blankly processing her loss, Ashen turns his back to the audience and sobs quietly. This small detail was an interesting s.effective and recognisable portrayal of the unexpected reactions to grief, appearing in between humourous and dissociated lines. Ashen’s performance is likewise careful and true to his character, allowing Freddie to feel familiar to the audience.
There is so much subtext layered in the script, particularly in relation to Ava, and it left some really interesting avenues to be explored further, whilst also wishing for more moments of quiet and space. A nod to Ava’s brother who died when she was a child is something I especially wanted to be explored more. This, I felt, was an interesting distinguishing factor between the two characters—Ava has had experiences of grief, whereas Freddie had never been to a funeral before. At times, the show seems a little unsure of how seriously to take itself. The weight of grief becomes overwhelming by the end, which feels appropriate. Whilst the show generally does a good job balancing its comedy and its bereavement, it would benefit some more by allowing the pendulum to swing more in one direction and stay there for a little longer. Ava’s seemingly masked response in her early stages of grief seem like a good opportunity to do this. For example, she brushes off her brother’s suicide as “his choice”, a moment which I felt tackled the absurdity experienced in the wake of suicide with extreme accuracy and brutal humour. Moments of contrast like this feel uncomfortable, but that discomfort feels central to the play. In this, Flat 2 successfully tears apart two characters otherwise quite ordinary and recognisable—preserving the humanity of both whilst allowing them to indulge in the hedonism and absurdity that often accompanies the shock of death.
Flat 2 heads to the Drayton Arms Theatre on 3rd August and tickets are available here.