Frantic
Assembly’s Lovesong: Review
From
playwright Abi Morgan, and the Artistic Director’s and founders behind ‘Frantic
Assembly’, comes a heart-warming story of love, life, problems and solutions; ‘Longsong’. ‘Lovesong’ is ‘Frantic Assembly’s’ wildly
successful production telling a parallel story of a married couple, showing the
pair of them in their youth, and their steps towards their final hours. Brought to life through realistic and relatable
dialogue, and expertly projected through four extremely talented actors. It is these actors who perfectly tell the interlinking
storylines of the same characters, both in their youth and their elderly
ages.
Whilst the
characters stories and the actor’s performances do bring this magnificent play
to life, it is, however, completely apocalypse under the extraordinary staging
and movement choreography, directed by Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett. The Artistic Director’s, and founders of the ‘Frantic
Assembly’ theatre company, bring these characters stories physically to
life. Demonstrating the characters and
the stories evolution toward a factor where the audience cannot take their eyes
off the stage, and are vastly intrigued in this visually stunning production,
from the actor’s physicality montages and the staging of ‘Lovesong’.
In the beginning
of the play, audience members are already fixed on the stage. Two of the human senses come to instant work
as they see the building of the plays atmosphere, and they hear a chill-worthy
soundtrack. This is all to begin the audience’s
embracement of these characters, and truly get under their skin and join in their
life story. Beginning with the first lead
actors (Sam Cox and Siân Phillips) pacing on stage, backed up with dark and
mysterious lighting, and a slow and wondrous soundtrack, it intrigues us in curiosity,
and opens powerfully with the main characters in their elderly years. Billy’s speech begins, talking in the third
person and yet speaking very descriptive about the simplest of things, such as
cleaning his teeth, to inform the audience what kind of a character he could be
and makes us interested to see where he could go and develop as the play goes
on.
This is rather
similar to another successful ‘Frantic Assembly’ production, titled ‘Stockholm’. In this production we see the story of a
young couple and their stories progress towards serious problems and desperate solutions. Except there are similarities with ‘Lovesong’
as there are mesmerising choreographed montages, but I did more dialogue in amongst
‘Stockholm’ and like ‘Lovesong’ speaking in third person. This could possibly a trait mark element of ‘Frantic
Assembly’ but I do see it usage to enhance and involve the audience and their
understanding of the play. This all makes
the play more memorable and entertaining.
Although, back
to ‘Lovesong’, there was one fascinating element in particular, which I admired
deeply about the production, was the presentation of flashbacks. This certainly lacked in the storytelling of ‘Stockholm’,
as it showed the story from one age incarnation perspective. But it does come to excellent use in ‘Lovesong’,
where I found it to be outstanding. Continuing
with the elderly incarnations, of the characters, their conversation leaded to
some specific subject and/or memory and this takes the characters back to their
youth. This is where the younger cast
are introduced (Edward Bennett and Leanne Rowe). Now from first impression I thought of the flashback
montages to be going through the same routine, in that the elderly actors would
leave stage and the younger actors would take over. But the directors surprised me, as both the
younger and elder incarnations shared the stage, and shared similar
dialogue. While at first I believed they
were interacting with one another, but as the play when on, it became apparent
that because one of the elderly characters mentioned a subject from their past,
we physically see that memory and how time has changed these characters and how
vast their past has had an impact on them.
I personally loved this aspect, and how it increased throughout the play
to a point when the staging became increasing impressive.
Staging wise,
there was no ground breaking structure that came to be the most visually
rewarding. There were no raised levels
and no shape formation of the entirety of the stage. However the stage riddled with flower petals
and dead autumn leaves. I liked this input;
I felt it was a good combination reflecting the actors and their incarnations
of the characters. As it showed the
linking of something soothing, fresh and romantic, reflecting the younger
characters love for each other. As well
as something old, breaking and falling from their grace, reflecting and
emphasising the older incarnation’s state, as they’re constantly reminded of
their youth times and how they miss the past.
However it reflects the elderly incarnation’s story and it is time for both
of them to move on, and face reality, and except the fact that they will have
to pass on sooner or later. I thought those
were a particularly good input, and that is what I deduced from that technique.
However that
wasn’t the only stage craft worth noting, the stage props, such as the bed and
the wardrobe assisted in the flashback montages as it enabled the incarnations
to interact with one another specifically for the memorable dance montages. I loved this input particularly as well,
because it increases the fact that the elders want to go back to the past, and
the montages show their love for the past, and their changing respect for each
other. Plus it all came together perfectly;
in well delivered choreography it told the majority of the story through little
dialogue. As well as showing not only
the directors input and commitment to the project, but the actors as well.
As it was a
story worth telling, a story worth watching, and spectacularly rewarding for
both the cast and the crew, and the audience.
‘Lovesong’ is definitely as production that paid off expertly and magnificent
to behold.
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