(4 / 5)

A mixture of traditional music, mixed with techno, easy but interesting staging and serious topics meeting comedy, Rare Mettle Earth was not what I was expecting.

Set in South America, we see the conflict of Western countries pressurizing the indigenous people to succumb to their needs. The salt of this little area contains lithium which could either help fuel energy saving cars or help the mental health of people during the beginnings of the Covid Pandemic. Both sound, on paper, as very useful and morally sound things to strive for, but those behind the initiatives are not quite so angelic. In comes power play; from both the Western societies and Indigenous societies, of the pressure on the poor and the stereotyping of poorer people being for some reason unintelligent.

I did not know what I was expecting. I do not read about shows beforehand, with concern that it might influence my opinion or give me unconscious bias before even seeing the show. And so a really great part of this play is that it strips away layer after layer, bit by bit, adding to the story, making the plot thicker and mixed with moral dilemmas.

As always, the Royal Court’s design is perfection. Simple, yet effective, the transition between places such as America or the UK to the South American countryside is done minimally but it works. White, blank, modern space is created for the former, with something more earthy and natural for the South American town. You can certainly feel the different in spaces.

Majority of the performers double up characters. I heard a person in the audience say this was confusing. That a differentiation wasn’t bold enough to tell. But I highly disagree. The changes in their appearances while, yes, subtle, the performers themselves were able to perform very different characters and I found it very easy to tell. To me, there were more characters on stage and at no point did I come out of that theatrical reality.

The story is, to some degree, a tough one. There is a sense of being, of place, of something that reminds me a lot of conversations that are current and been going on for years in places such as Aboriginal cultures where the impact of the Western societies have pushed aside the true beings of the land. Often, just for monetary reasons. One story thrown in is that the lithium is helpful to others, that it could be a mega discovery in our fight on Mental Health. The other, to save the planet in the long run, with affordable cars. But both of these people are deeply selfish and deeply flawed. It puts you in a conundrum and makes you think truly about your own morals and opinions on the state of our world.

Rare Earth Mettle is a surprisingly thought provoking and intriguing production. It touches upon centuries, of years of white washed culture and in the deep selfishness of those who seemingly are trying to save us and our planet.

(5 / 5)

Firstly, a comment on this new theatre. Based around the bottom of Battersea Power Station, I was really impressed to see this new theatre, with its new and inventive décor and friendly staff doing so well and with such a brilliant and versatile space. It was perfect for the show I was about to review.

Boy Out The City is a quirky, comical, heart wrenching and heart warming one man, autobiographical story. Written and performed by Declan Bennett, it is the first show I have seen that is based upon the pandemic. I thought there would be more but maybe they are still in the making. I mention this, as I hope this review highlights that this was the perfect show to return to normality with and really picks up on what most of us felt during the last year. Bennett talks about how he and his partner moved from London to the countryside. With his partner also an actor, he gets invited to a job in the States, while Bennett is left alone in his cottage in the middle of nowhere. Bennett talks about mental health, about the bad habits we all adopted to cope, about loneliness, about sexuality but also about nostalgia and how it makes us who we are.

Bennett’s show is absolutely hilarious. Perfect in execution, not a single falter, high energized and full of information, at times it feels very much like sitting with a friend and talking. He is personable, he is down to earth, and this all helps with telling his story.

While he is funny and picks upon things that were huge parts of the pandemic for many (drinking wine at 2am, sleeping till late, being lonely, nothing to do) he also effortlessly moves this into very serious questions and issues in society such an men’s mental health, of sexuality and growing up denying being gay to fit in and avoid violence. These moments, I wouldn’t say, came out the blue, but when they are slotted in, your smile from the hilarity before has gone, and your heart aches for what he has been through.

He isn’t afraid to touch upon, and negatively, about his past and what he thought at the time. Of the mistakes he made just to fit in and be safe. A story that i’m sure many in this community can associate to. In fact, those who also are not but can identify the things they did, growing up, just to feel a part of the world.

We talk about the Pandemic as being different for everyone. Yes, we went through the same rules and regulations, and while mental health issues went through the roof, as individuals, we all coped differently. Bennett is clever and picks up on the ones that he did that we can relate to, and therefore a good chunk of his comedy is laughing at the relatable nature and all we saw and heard during the last year.

He uses the stage well – different points highlight the different parts of his story, from the cottage, to his neighbour, to the bar on St Patrick’s Day, even to his past. Minimal set and props are used but they are effective. Nothing is there just for the sake of it. And I loved this. All too easy do theatre makers find props and set upon props and set to fill a room, when it isn’t needed. I also notice that one person productions also do this, to slightly shy away from their performance. Bennett was loud, he was present, he filled the stage. And that’s one of the many parts that made it perfect. As someone writing their own one woman play, it gave me much food for thought.

Boy Out The City is a cultural revelation after a tough time in the World. It is raw, it is emotional, it is absolutely hilarious and it is essential.

Please do look out for this production which aims to have future life across the country.

(5 / 5)

Do you want to know a secret? Well.. it’s not much of a secret I suppose. But one of my guilty pleasures is Rom-Com books and occasionally Rom-Com films.

I love how they can feel realistic but also completely not. They are set mostly in the lives of (albeit theatrical) “real” people and while they make me sad that my life isn’t a Rom-Com, i’ve got to say, I enjoy it.

Thinking back – I don’t think I’ve ever really seen a Rom-Com on stage before. Yes, there have been romances but nothing so quintessentially British. So, Love Dance, was the perfect show to break into this performance genre.

Love Dance features a typical meet-cute story. A Doctor, leases her flat out to a tenant during her time away from work. Only to come home and find that he is still there, stubbornly refuses, as they disagree on the Month to Date format on the contract. After a period of time, they grow closer and closer, talking about marriage and children and how the Doctor wishes to have a child but not a relationship. Their love grows and the rest is history.

Derek Murphy and Jacoba Williams have the perfect chemistry. It genuinely feels as if the wall of the flat has been taken away and we are peaking into real life. They bounce of one another effortlessly and somehow, they have that gives-you-butterflies feeling when they look at each other.

They exhibit the typical characters you see in a Rom-Com – Murphy plays the funny, teasing but ultimately mysterious Musician and Williams is a strong, independent but bossy Doctor with her whole life ahead of her – she’s put aside her dating life and want for a baby for her career. As typical of a Rom-Com – you think these characters are just so different, but as you peel away the layers, you discover more and more, and actually how perfect they are. And we of course have events that you cannot imagine ever happening in real life, but what makes such a story unique to all the others.

We laugh, we feel sad, we feel happy – all the emotional ups and downs of this genre. And it was complete perfection on its execution – no errors, no awkwardness, just flawless.

My ONLY quibble is that there is a point when Murphy’s character has this bad cough – we see Williams’s character check him out and her face shows her concern. As the play continues, there is mention to it but we never really understand or hear the conclusion, of why it is cured and it felt a little bit of an idea that was added and never came to fruition. It didn’t take anything away from the story, but nor did it add anything.

Love Dance warms your heart. It makes you feel those romantic butterflies. And sometimes makes you feel sad about your own love life. The perfect Rom-Com on stage.