Doll and Ted (Norah Lopez Holden and George Caple) are friends. They are teenagers who are both confused in their young lives and are struggling to grow up. They have both experienced tragedy and look to comfort each other by playing pranks on their friends, gossiping and being typical teenagers. Doll’s predicament comes from her pregnancy. She doesn’t know who the father is and this obviously adds to the complexities of growing up. Ted on the other hand is struggling to cope with the death of his sister. Life is not easy for the pair and their relationship is tested throughout Epic Love and Pop Songs with tragic consequences.
Phoebe Eclair-Powell had a massive hit with the show Wink. Rave reviews highlighted her skills as a writer and with Epic Love and Pop Songs it looks like she’s written another excellent show. The script is funny, poignant and beams with authenticity. It is superbly delivered by the talented cast who embody the words and express the unique relationship of the two main characters.
The play starts with an explosion of music, dancing and day-glo costumes. From the word go the audience is enthralled and invited into a world of colour, fluorescence and excitement. As the show progresses the story becomes more complex and serious and the dazzling costumes and bright lightning take on a more somber tone. This is in keeping with the themes of the play and the raw emotions of the characters. Music does feel a bit absent towards the middle of the performance. With the title Epic Love and Pop Songs the audience may expect some power ballads to be belted out at some point, but this is not the case. Epic Love and Pop Songs is a smart and intelligent production which does not need to convey the emotion through over the top songs, despite the title. With the Edinburgh Fringe drawing to a close, hopefully Epic Love and Pop Songs will have a life beyond it’s run at the Pleasance Dome.