Everyone loses in this piece of insider trading. JJ played by Gina Bellman beds men for their business secrets which her sometime boyfriend Leo played by Stephen Beckett tries to use to make money. The author seems to think that if you throw in three other characters something will happen and produce a play of interest with a compulsion to watch. Alas it does not work with Neil Monaghan’s play Beautiful People directed by Edward Kemp.
“Beautiful People” is at the Round in Scarborough from the 10th of October until the 9th of November, 2002.
The actors try, but the words are just not there in the right order and the plot is weak. The author does not seem to know if one of the characters is a journalist or not and seems compelled to keep bring this into their conversations. You come away wondering what would the actors have done with a more substantial plot. It is not enough to think of a number of topical ideas, put them together and hope that something of interest will emerge.
The audience did not seem to want to chatter about what they had seen as they left the auditorium. Perhaps this summed up the play. Best forgotten. © BA
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