LOVE IS BLUE - REVIEW - DRAYTON ARMS THEATRE

What do an ambitious and successful-looking banker and a homeless young man have in common? If you thought nothing, then Love is Blue is here to show you that underneath the surface – the glamour and glitz as well as the dust of the streets – we all may face similar issues.

When investment banker Olly (Sam Walter) leaves his coffee on the streets purely because it is half-cold, rough-sleeping Aaron (Andrew Ewart) picks it up. The bewilderment in Olly nudges him to initiate a conversation with the young man, and after asking what he would want most in the world right now, offers Aaron a shower. This moment of philanthropy marks the beginning of a series of interactions between the two men that lead to the slow reveal of each’s story up to the moment they met.

Loss is a central theme in both. While the outgoing banker hides the grief for the loss of his partner, the homeless man deals with both the loss of his overly religious home and his identity. Together, they start exploring their individual pasts and grow closer in the process.

What could be an engaging and heartbreaking story exploring the depth of what people around us may feel and how they deal with it every day falls short in its presentation. While both Walter and Ewart give each of their characters all the emotions and roundness one could hope for in a play, the connection between them is disrupted by Prav MJ’s direction. The genuine bond that should be formed in the deep and meaningful conversations Don Cotter has written is interrupted by them facing away from each other or addressing the audience. It feels like they are monologging their inner thoughts and feelings instead of engaging with each other. Sadly, this makes the mutual attraction they seem to be feeling in their blossoming friendship (or relationship?) a bit forced and unnatural. Subtle changes in the way Olly and Aaron interact with each other could add credibility in their relationship, rounding out this otherwise well-done play.

Love is Blue is on at Edinburgh Fringe this year – info here!

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

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