Birmingham
THE LASTING SENSE OF SUDDEN: Jonathan AP Emrys
Fred Theatre Limited
at The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham.
Old Joint Stock till 15 11 14
then Croydon, Stratford

Runs: 1hr 15m, no interval: till 15th November 2014

Weds-Sat 7:30pm

Review: Sam Chipman 13/11/2014

An honest, open telling of real LBGT experiences

Inspired by real stories, The Lasting Sense Of Sudden tells a number of tales about the LGBT community. Loss, loneliness and self discovery are on the menu: scenes handling the sensitive issue of coming out and dealing with societal pressures are honestly portrayed as they are aired.

The title of the piece is somewhat a mystery, even when the word ‘sudden’ is used on occasion throughout. Perhaps it hints to the fact the realisation that you are gay is not a sudden thing, however the act of coming out can seem a little more that way inclined as facing up to the world and being open can still seem like a leap of faith.

Upon entering the auditorium the cast mingle and talk with the audience, inviting them to consume apple’s and apple juice. The meaning of this is unclear, however one feels there may be a reference to the forbidden fruit hidden beneath, but this is not explored within the piece itself.

Strong performances all round, each performer plays a number of different roles. Charlie Reilly in particular is completely at home on the stage and James Parsons shows himself to be a versatile performer and capable of delivering the goods in the more touching scenes.

Robert F. Ball’s direction is straightforward, allowing the stories to tell themselves. The stories are laid bare, and nothing is in the way to distract from the subject matter.

The stories are deeply personal, and touching. They are performed with a great integrity which resonates undeniably as being human – however one feels that the themes could have been explored a little more strongly.

Cast:
Sarah Gordon
Neil Jackson
James Parsons
Charlie Reilly

Director: Robert F.Ball

2014-11-14 11:01:24