Showing @ Bedlam Theatre, 7-27 August @ 12:30
It’s often said that a picture says a thousand words, but what about those words hidden behind a forced smile or against a beautiful backdrop? Such is the premise of Remember This, an original Edinburgh University Theatre Company (EUTC) production centred around ordinary couple Nick (Paul Brotherson) and Helen (Daisy Badger). Using a slide projector and a set of old photographs, we see the pair at their most intimate and vulnerable as they chart the highs and lows of their ten year relationship.
After a slightly unsure start – no doubt down to opening show nerves – the play goes on to develop into a strong piece of theatre. Written by Lizzie Bourne and Florence Vincent, the script’s early apparent over-reliance on unconvincing exposition is later revealed to be with good cause, making it a thought-provoking premise that begs for a second viewing. Although a few suspect lines and a bit of stiffness here and there suggest that Nick and Helen are more likely to be on an awkward first date than husband and wife, Brotherson and Badger knowingly capture that awful closeness but irreparable distance that comes as a relationship is on its last legs. With a clever combination of laughs and sadness, the production manages to be both joyfully and painfully recognizable all at once, making it a contender for this year’s NSDF Edinburgh Emerging Artists Competition.
The show does have an amateur, studenty feel to it; inevitable given that everyone involved is still studying hard at university. But for a group that, for the time being at least, modestly see their involvement in theatre as little more than a hobby, Remember This stands up impressively well against the professional competition of the Fringe.
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