THEATRE REVIEWS

"Weird", was one girl's remark as she left the theatre. "I've met women like that man", was another's aside to a friend. So what was it all about, this play called Smoke by Bryony Lavery? Smoke in one form or another is the theme. Peculiar and odd are some of the dictionary's explanation of weird, but silly talk could have been another explanation of what the audience had just sat through.

Now someone has to sit down and read this script before it can get produced, so how does something as disjointed as this get to the stage? The plot was poor, based, we are told, on a life experience. So what was this life experience that proved to be so important that it needed to be brought to the stage?

Onto the set came two modern day girls, uttering what was expected of them in the mind of this playwright, aiming to convey what is thought of today's twenty year olds. Next, a zombie like man drifts onto the stage and proceeds to force his attentions on one of the girls, despite her and her friend's attempts to side track his efforts. Then for no reason at all add a ghost. Call the whole experience a romantic comedy and you have the muddled thoughts that went towards the creation of this play.

The cast probably would wish not to be mentioned, and director Gwenda Hughes did her best with the material given to work with, as did Jess Curtis who brought a very nice piece of set design to the Round. So what is there left to say about this piece of work? A line from the play would sum it up: "I'm sorry about this". Bring back weekly rep. © BA

“Smoke” is in repertory at the Round in Scarborough from the 14th March to the 25th of March, 2006 and then continues touring. This is a No Smoking theatre.