Hits & Pieces is an innovative and exciting concept by the Matchstick Theatre Company. Selecting one song (suggested and voted by previous audience members) for each event, four writers are tasked with creating a short play based on the song and present these at each event. Each differing vastly, with their own directors and casts, Hits & Pieces promises a wide variety of genres, styles and stories, as well as interesting and unique interpretations of the chosen song. For the event I reviewed, Britney Spears' "Toxic" was the selected song. The event saw two plays, followed by a short interval and the final two, and an open invitation to join cast and crew on a dance floor to a "Toxic" inspired playlist post event.
1. Tommy Crispino's Tasty Lips.
Written by Mark Daniels and directed by Natasha Vasandani, this short play was a hilariously relatable story about the intensity of teenage love, with a beautiful subplot of discovering one's queerness and empowerment. Daniels takes the audience back to their own first loves, with the anxious and nervous attempts to connect and the inevitable moments of embarrassment and cringe. Mattie (Eoin John) narrates the play, placing popular boy Tommy Crispino (Kahmal Sealey) on a pedestal, and barely functioning in his presence. A chance partnership for a school presentation, allows Mattie the opportunity to bond with Tommy, and their relationship grows.
John is a wonderful performer, with an acute sense of comedy and heart in their performance, and connects with the audience effortlessly. Sealey is equally hilarious with his "cool boy" remarks, yet packs a punch with his unexpected depth during the presentation. Writer Daniels has perfectly balanced the nostalgia and intensity of teenage love, with an empowering and more serious narrative of living one's truth loudly and proudly.
2. I Can Taste The Crown From Here.
Written by Emma Read and directed by Rebecca Hewett, this one woman show is a powerful short piece about the struggles of Vanessa (Paisley Billings) as she powers through years of hard work to win the title of Miss Great Britain. The piece is partly conversational as Billings addresses the audience, even interacting with a lucky few, but mostly is a fast paced and well acted monologue that chronicles her sacrifices. Read's writing is strong, with every word carefully pushing the play forward, and Billings more than does them justice. The tension slowly builds over the piece as the winner is announced, and the following spiral of not being selected, only ramps the pieces further.
Billings gives the role of Vanessa her everything and shines on stage. Billings delivers a heartbreaking performance, as she lives and thrives for the spotlight that is taken away. She utterly commands the stage and is impossible to ignore with a grand stage presence.
It is a stirring piece that acts as an emotional rollercoaster, which ultimately ends on a high note with Vanessa choosing to shine in her own right and become iconic rather than remain Toxic.
3. I'm Addicted To You.
Written and directed by Natasha Vasandani, this short play follows the messy and complicated relationship between two school teachers. Alex (Jennifer Aries) grapples to break free from her attraction towards her fellow colleague (Charlotte Bloomsbury), even working through it with her therapist, yet inevitably gives in once more to their charm. Often mistreated, misunderstood and becoming the secret mistress, Alex is stuck in a toxic and unhealthy cycle of addiction to the relationship.
The play starts quite suddenly and mid-conversation, so the rise and falls of Alex's self-control don't quite come across as strongly as perhaps the piece deserves, and leaves the audience to piece it together. The play is quite short with just the one cyclic conversation, with stillness from both performers, who have opted to internalise emotions that would have worked better for a more active script. Despite this, Bloomsbury and Aries both deliver solid performances and represent the characters well.
It's an interesting premise, especially with the brief discussions of infidelity and queerness, yet could be explored in much more details and depth.
4. A Poison Paradise.
Written by Annette Brook and directed by Mark Daniels, this short play is louder, exploring the relationships between an individual to others around them, and the greater society. When two women are pitted against one another in hopes of securing a permanent job at the end of their shared internship, the atmosphere becomes toxic and competitive. The unnamed woman are fascinating and well-developed characters from different and opposing worlds, Emma Read as the uptight upper class 33-year old who is trying to prove her worth to her discouraging parents, and Delilah Tahiri as the self-proclaimed hippie, lower class 33-year old who is trying to hold down a job and make her family proud. Their personalities clash, made only more tense by their parents who have sharpened the young women's edges with harsh words and heavy expectations. This is further emphasised by offhand comments about their age and gender in the workforce, as they fight to take up space and be seen in a mainly white and male dominated company.
A literal competition of musical chairs helps distinguish between scenes, as both characters battle to find the winning seat in the row of chairs, with their urgency and determination clear. It's a clever piece that has wit (as evidenced by a fun conversation built entirely around Britney Spear song titles), humour and sheds a light upon workplace tendencies. The piece, along with both characters, revolt towards the end of the play, diverting from the focused narrative, choosing instead to use the space to stage a protest against discrimination, sexism, ageism and competition.
Hits & Pieces is a wonderful concept by the Matchstick Theatre Company, that also showcases new and upcoming talent (writers, directors and actors), and champions unique and exciting voices and stories.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Grey Beanie Productions
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