@ Summerhall, Edinburgh, until 20 Jun 2015
The current production by The Luvvies consists of two short pieces by David Dalzell: Moved to Touch and Train to New Zealand, followed by Richard Hall’s Love Match. These pieces seek to examine issues within the LGBT community regarding acceptance, isolation and relationships.
In Moved To Touch partners Gill and Jo, played by Sian Lovell and Kate Burston, use a painting at an art exhibition as a metaphor for their relationship. The short ten minutes sees the couple move from closed-off hostility, which mirrors the picture they are looking at, to resolution through a domestic argument which has the audience laughing. The fact that the viewer cannot see what they are looking at makes this all the more effective as we watch the couple’s reactions and the train of thought which led from it. The piece sums up the disconnection between the two characters and the need for communication.
Train to New Zealand reflects current political issues, portraying a mother’s obvious discomfort in accepting her son’s same-sex marriage as valid. ‘It’s not the same,’ she announces, comparing it to a heterosexual couple. Given the reference to Ireland as a setting, it reflects the split in attitudes within different regions of the UK. The focus of the play switches back and forth between mother and son to two event organisers at an adjacent table, but the connection between the two groups isn’t exactly clear.
Richard Hall’s Love Match follows Hollywood actor Alex as he embarks on his first gay role, with all the struggles that entails. To try and open his mind, writer Martin and his partner David (Daniel Cairns) invite Alex and his wife Liz round to see what a loving relationship between two men is like. Anticipating their attitude, David plays up to gay stereotypes in front of the actor and his wife, only for them to confirm suspicions with questions like, ‘which one of you does the cooking?’ The play highlights the way that gay couples are viewed as something ‘other’, mixing just the right amount of humour with social comment. It is entertaining, while also causing you to think about openness and honesty in human relationships. The quality of the acting is superb; Lizzie Nicholson plays Liz, the straight-faced professional with her own hidden insecurities, fantastically and Mark Young as writer Martin Corelli is witty and at ease.