“Do you like Pina Coladas? And getting caught in the rain?” Rupert Holmes’ classic song will be stuck in your head long after seeing Sugar & Salt. The popular up-beat tune weaves throughout the performance and nicely sums up this adorable play.
Written and directed by Edinburgh University student Louisa Doyle, the play follows two female students and their vastly different lives. There’s romance, stress, mouldy “art” and an abundance of emotions as the best friends navigate their relationship.
Growing up is not a unique theme in theatre, so there’s no real push out of a comfort zone from this performance. But the characters and their feelings are charming and will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy.
As a first play from Doyle, it’s lovely in nature. There are many instances that a student audience, at least current ones or recent graduates, will be sure to identify with. Playful choreography to music when the characters are commuting is a nice touch as it gives the audience a sense of the characters’ environment. It’s cleverly done in a limited space.
However, the tech execution is a wee bit spotty. Sometimes the music is loud, sometimes abruptly quiet. The lighting too is occasionally mismatched; there are a few times the character is not lit up while they’re talking. It makes is difficult to see them from the back of the Bedlam Theatre.
Still, the stark contrast between Moni (Isabella Rogers) and Minu (Verity Brown) is beautiful in its execution. Brown’s performance as big-hearted arts student Minu is delightful and funny, while Rogers’ portrayal of stressy, always-busy Moni is something everyone can empathise with.
For a debut showing Sugar & Salt has a lot of promise and could really become something truly wonderful with a bit of tightening up. If you remember your student days fondly Sugar & Salt is worth a chance.