Review - Peach and Appleblossom

[By Sarah Cooper - First published in ForgePress 21 Novemver]

Opening night. Fireworks night. But although the sounds of spectacular displays could be heard outside, unfortunately there were no fireworks on stage: Peach and Appleblossom fizzled out like a damp sparkler.

The curtains opened on the heart of the student home: the sofa. The obligatory pizza boxes and crushed Coke bottles completed the familiar scene with humorous accuracy. Here, the story of four students unfolded as they came to terms with unfamiliar emotions and relationships.
The action centred on the relationship between manipulative Dan (Ashton Kelly) and his brother Ben (Jacob Harrison-Beaumont), but the awkwardness between these two actors made it difficult to believe that they were acquaintances, let alone related.

Similarly, the relationship between both brothers and Lucy (Rebecca Watson) was unconvincing, with embarrassed ‘snogging’ devoid of chemistry and apparently only thrown in for good measure. The performers combined this with a lack of pace, stage presence and ability to replicate natural conversation. Spontaneity of laughter and the interjections which characterise real interaction were completely misplaced and painful to watch.

Frustratingly, the script itself had some moments of promise, which the direction and most of the delivery failed to fulfil. Such two-dimensional characters made it difficult for the audience to empathise with the story, especially Dan’s swift transition from moody teenager to psychopathic killer, which failed to convince. Consequently what was supposed to be a ‘staggering conclusion’ did not have its desired effect, since the audience simply couldn’t sympathise with the plight of either Dan or Lucy.

The staging and direction of the predictable plot was not a highlight either, with many static scenes set awkwardly between the sofa and the irritatingly stiff door. Stage right was finally utilised for what should have been a climactic murder scene, but actually resembled a playground scrap. Only when a faint red stain appeared on the top of a pile of strategically placed clothes did it become clear that Ben was dead, despite the melodramatic, malevolent glare of Dan.

For the astute audience member there were various continuity errors to note, including the fact that the male characters had the privilege of wearing a few different t-shirts whilst their female counterparts must have been particularly impoverished students who did not change their outfits once!

The play was also continuously punctured by irritating and unnecessary blackouts. Small consolation came in the sound of Roy Orbison, which accompanied these bewildering moments of darkness when the lyrics often reflected and enhanced the plot.

However, Jo (Elanor Larbi) was a real breath of fresh air, making the most of a character that lacked depth. She coped brilliantly with a challenging sexual assault scene and her ‘brilliant humour and sultry ability’ (as promised in the programme) didn’t disappoint, restoring the energy and realism of the piece.

It was, however, disappointing to witness the unfulfilled potential of a play that aimed to be hard-hitting but ended up like Hollyoaks. Of course, it’s good to see that suTCo is supporting new writers. It’s just a shame there wasn’t a larger audience there to support it too.