“Well-written, well-acted, and well worth your time”
Shotgunned is a 2-person show that explores the relationship between Roz, played by Lorna Panton, and Dylan played by Fraser Allan Hogg. The play presents this relationship to us in a non-linear fashion, with a series of short scenes that feel less like a performance and more like a window into someone’s life. We are taken on a journey through a romance, experiencing poignant and casual moments in the relationship, some of which are hilariously relatable and others which are profoundly heartbreaking.
The success of this show lives and dies entirely on the shoulders of its two performers, who have to create realistic and palpable chemistry between these characters in order to make us buy into the relationship and care about the people involved. Both actors give excellent performances and bring realism and excitement to these characters which makes the relationship feel very authentic, true to life, and eminently relatable. This authenticity helps to heighten the comedic awkward moments between the couple, and also increase the emotional force of the more poignant and tragic moments. The non-linear nature of the story helps to spread out the comedic and the dramatic scenes and stops the darker moments feeling all encompassing, while also highlighting some of the sadness by being able to immediately highlight the happier times.
While the play is a triumph of writing and performance, there are a couple of small moments where the spell is slightly broken. A brief lip-sync and dance sequence feels jarringly out of place, a stylistic shift that doesn’t quite align with the grounded realism of the rest of the show. Similarly, a late scene where one of the characters directly addresses the audience feels like a moment of unnecessary exposition. It’s a minor stumble, especially since the scene that immediately follows it provides all the necessary context without needing to spell it out.
These minor detours aside, Shotgunned is a hugely effective and affecting piece of theatre. It is a hugely effective show that is well-written, well-acted, and well worth your time.
Shotgunned is playing at Riverside Studios until 28th September. Tickets are available here.