I Love You, Now What? is a brilliant gem of a debut show, which is written and performed by actor and comedian Sophie Craig. Directed by Toby Clarke, this show is a startlingly sharp and beautiful introspection of handling grief and navigating the domino effect of losing a loved one.
The show follows Ava as she navigates a new relationship with Theo following an awkwardly hilarious and impulsive one nighter, whilst also being the carer for her dad whose cancer slowly strips him of the life he once knew. As he works through his pain by composing a song for Ava, Theo begins to become a part of the family. However, as her dad's crippling health and inevitable demise hangs over the young couple, their relationship is tested. Ava, at the centre of it all, struggles to remain herself and succumbs to the pain and grief of her profound loss and withdraws.
Craig has done the extraordinary in terms of writing and performance by diving into the deepest ends of grief. Glimpsing and snatching away the stolen lighter moments of laughter with Theo, and thrusting the audience headfirst into painful uncontrollable screams of anguish, an overwhelming sense of loss and spiralling in an attempt to remain steady, the play captures her excruciating pain accurately. Whilst everyone processes grief differently, a point reiterated by bereavement therapist John, the wounding effect of Ava's pain finds its home in every audience member, recognising and relating to their own loss.
Craig shines as the brutally raw and hilariously awkward Ava. Switching between the lighter moments in her relationship with Theo, to bringing gravitas as she navigates caring for her dad, Craig's whiplash ability to perform opposing extreme emotions is impressive. Any performer who can turn a hilarious moment of yelling "C**t" at passing pedestrians into a heart wrenching scream and gut punch moment in a single breath earns my lasting respect. Craig has a naturally strong and commanding stage presence, but it's the smaller moments of silence and internal conflicts that really capture her highly commendable acting ability. She pours her everything into Ava, and the audience cannot help but be swept away in the tidal waves of her grief and sadness, experiencing the 5 stages of grief along with her.
Craig is joined by Andy Umerah (Theo) and Ian Puleston-Davies (Dad/John). Umerah as Theo is beautifully cast, bringing the show a sweet relief and solace, the eye in the hurricane. Endlessly charming and good natured, he radiates positivity into the lives of Ava and her father. His relentless attempts to be Ava's lifeline as she spirals into darkness is a quieter pain that is portrayed profoundly, a real testament to the ripple effects that loss has on all relationships. Umerah features predominantly in the show's lighter moments and presents Theo as a wonderful character that the audience will navigate towards. With a couple of fun moments of audience interaction, Umerah is a winning performer, which makes his own grief and eventual frustration and anger even sharper and cuts through the show.
Puleston-Davies oozes warmth as Ava's dad, whose zest for life, passion for sports and love for music makes his slow demise even more heartbreaking. The heart warming moments of interactions between him and Ava are acutely countered by the crippling fear of acknowledging the truth, which inevitably pits them against one another. Puleston-Davies portrays the loss of control incredibly well, and the audience are able to visually see life slowly leave his body. He carries the weight of loss in his being and proves to be an incredible actor. Puleston-Davies also portrays John, Ava's therapist, and once again commandeers the show with his subtle but powerful performance of monologues about survivor's guilt, isolating oneself and asking for help.
The set is compromised of a large wooden piano (originally built by Sam Stewart and designed by Bethan Wall), that is also used as a sandy cliffside and a bed. The piano becomes the show's anchor and a visual metaphor. The actors slowly unhook and detach the piano across various points of the show, separating it into two as Ava's life slowly becomes undone.
Scene transitions slip into the show seamlessly as important points of Ava's journey, often covering time gaps and treading the line between her internalised pain and external guard, and become poetic moments of theatre in themselves. Scene transitions often include soft piano rendition of snippets from the song that Ava's dad works on for Ava (Jack Edmonds), with dramatic and striking lighting (Pablo Fernandez Baz) and Ava staring longing at her dad or after Theo as she walks around the piano (Sean Hollands).
The show, however, is not without its comedy and features witty conversations, easy going jokes and a wonderfully awkward sex scene that invites laughter. Craig has painted a stroke of life in the show. I Love You, Now What? is a moving and beautiful play that will induce laughter and tears alike, to the point that a theatre usher is stood with a box of tissues at the exit.
I Love You, Now What? is a must watch play and is currently playing at the Park Theatre until 24th August. For more information and tickets, you can follow the link here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Lidia Crisafulli
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