The House Party, which is written by Laura Lomas and directed by Holly Race Roughan, is a modern reinterpretation of the 1888 play Miss Julie by August Strindberg, placing the themes of class and mental health in a contemporary setting. As suggested by the name, this play follows the events of a house party, spanning over three hours where everything and everyone changes, when presented with temptations, fears, and an unhealthy dosage of manipulation.
The play opens with two best friends, Julie (Synnove Karlsen) and Christine (Sesley Hope), awaiting the arrival of their classmates, to celebrate Julie's 18th birthday. With her father out of town, Julie promises the night to be an extravagant affair, although claiming she cares only about Christine's presence. Right from the get go, audiences are introduced to the dynamics of this friendship, where despite the mutual affection, it's clear that Julie's enormous personality and unhealed trauma from her mother's death dominates their friendship. The night is further derailed with the introduction of alcohol, and the arrival of John (Tom Lewis), Christine's boyfriend. John and Julie's relationship predates that of Christine, with John's mother having previously worked as a cleaner in Julie's household. The night unfolds into a nightmarish three hours, as Julie's darker side gets the best of her, putting the trio into a tense yet thrilling game, where the stakes are a little too high.
The writing is instantly gripping, as the innocence and friendship between Julie and Christine is slowly sullied by external factors creeping in. The play is a non-stop shot of high energy, toying with the physical and emotions whims of being a teenager, which unless reined, are often destructive. The play feels realistic with the inclusion of technology and social media trends, firmly placing The House Party in today's world, despite the drama that unfolds feeling timeless.
The dynamic between Julie, Christine and John is forever changing and always one step ahead of the audience's guesses, creating a particular rich thriller of a play. As thought provoking as it is actively dramatic, the play is explosive in the moment, yet ensures a long reeling impact afterwards. The House Party breaks into two stems of the same storyline, with Christine, John and Julie's conversations occurring away from the utter madness of the party, yet ironically, is unmatched in its chaotic nature. The actual party occasionally steals into this conversation, ramping up miniscule issues and blowing them out of proportion in bursts of wordless visual poetry.
The set, designed by Loren Elstein, is relatively simple, resembling a cold and modern expensive house that doesn't quite feel like a home due to the lack of warmth and life. With a beige sofa and white kitchen island, and the translucent walls of a nearby bedroom, the space works well to accommodate this out of control party. A black glass wall adds a sinister sense to the room, especially when its own secrets are revealed throughout the night. A digital clock hangs overhead, starting at 9.08pm and proceeding through until 12.08am, helping frame the story within the three hours.
Filling up this vast space is Julie's classmates and partygoers, a supremely talented ensemble (Jamie Randall, Jaheem Pinder, Micah Corbin-Powell, Cal Connor, Oliver Baines, Ines Aresti and Rachel Leonce) with movement by Scott Graham, the artistic director of Frantic Assembly (UK's unparalleled theatre movement company). These moments of unrestrained youth and freedom is impossibly stunning, drawing in audiences to partake in this party from the comfort of their seats. These scenes are further fuelled by excellent sound and lighting design, provided by Giles Thomas and Joshua Pharo respectively. The almost hypnotic effect of the flashing strobe lights, heavy pulsating music and fast flow of bodies melding as one, makes for intoxicating scenes.
These are in turn contrasted well with the silence that hangs over the conversations between the three main characters, as the unspoken implications and foreshadowing takes dominance. The three characters each start the play with their own emotional baggage; John who's struggles with his confidence and self worth of being working class, Christine worrying about being her mother's carer, going to university and potentially inheriting her mother's condition and Julia, who suffers from guilt, shame and deep loneliness stemming from her parents. Alongside their pre-existing problems, the trio find themselves entangled in a web of betrayal, secrets, and temptations.
The three performers do an excellent job, and really bring out the best and worst of their characters with vulnerability and sensitivity. Hope as Christine is a steady and mature presence, showing her gentle and good natured spirit and just how fast a sparkler can burn out. Hope's worn out performance is instantly relatable, helping audiences to connect to this world. Lewis makes the rather intriguing choice to portray John as neither friend nor foe, but rather as an emotional individual. Lewis' performance is authentic and, at times, heart wrenching as his past and present self collide in a pool of self loathing and pity, yet his actions hold him in disgrace. Karlsen as Julie shines in a rather demanding role, taking on the fragile, damaged yet still privileged and carefree teenager, drawing out the nuances of the character. Karlsen easily switches between sobbing on the floor, to commanding the partygoers' attention in a wild and free dance in mere seconds, making this an extremely impressive performance, especially so as a debut theatre performer.
The House Party is a ferocious, yet fantastic production that speaks volumes in the unspoken. Painfully relevant and brutally honest, The House Party becomes so much more than a story about three teenagers, but a cycle of generations and the hits and falls of humanity. The House Party may not promise audiences a fun night, but an unforgettable and powerful one.
The House Party runs at the Rose Theatre until 22nd March.
★★★★☆ (4*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Ikin Yum
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