It’s Not About Coffee at Jack Studio Theatre Review
Written by Penny for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
It’s Not About Coffee is the debut production from Little Coup Theatre Company, which was founded by the play’s writers and performers, Sophia Hail and Jennifer Kehl. Hail also directs and has designed the sound.
Set in a coffee shop with a difference – it’s based in an underground bunker – this two-hander follows the fortunes of two women who have signed on for a sixty day trial as baristas – strangers forced to live and work together round the clock, constantly monitored by the bunker’s owner, a billionaire tech mogul. And we all know that when you’re dealing with billionaire tech moguls, nothing can go wrong. Right?
Billed as a dark comedy, the play promises to explore how far we are willing to go to appease the power of the ultra-rich before the scales tip.
The set is simple but effective. There’s a counter with typical coffee shop paraphernalia; this could be anywhere. Except there are two very basic camp beds set up where you’d normally expect there to be chairs and tables. Interesting. The décor is bland with grey walls and little in the way of decoration, apart from a lop-sided painting that irrationally irritated me. But of course it was supposed to irritate – the first character instantly straightens it up to walk onto the set. Phew! Little details like this help to make this unusual location feel more normal and relatable.
As the action plays out in this confined space, all that the women have to do is make coffee and monitor an inventory for sixty days. This could easily become dull and repetitive to watch, but the script is well written and Hail’s direction, using creative choreography to show the passing of time, means that this repetitive nature of the women’s day-to-day lives is very watchable. As time passes and we learn more about the characters, they speak in fragments of sentences, telling us their back stories in a fast-paced duologue that is very effective. Changing the names of the faceless tech bros so that they rhymed with their real-time counterparts and platforms (Zeelon? Chestbook?) was a good way of referencing the super-rich behind so much power in the world, but also keeping it fictional (and, no doubt, avoiding litigation!).
The actors play two characters who appear to be polar opposites. Jennifer Kehl plays Katherine, she’s cold, uptight and taking her job very seriously, always one eye on the contract and its rigid terms and conditions. Sophia Hail is Zona, short for Arizona, surname Turquoise. She’s perfectly named, with her floaty layers, yoga poses and penchant for journalling. She’s so laid back she’s almost horizontal (and a lot of the time she is) and isn’t taking things anywhere near as seriously as her new colleague and roommate. The pair are both very natural in their interactions, performing with excellent pace and timing. Their reactions to and frustrations with each other inject plenty of humour into the piece. As the characters get to know each other and barriers come down, they convey the shifting relationship very well.
We know from the title that there is more to this play than its coffee shop setting. But it takes quite a long time to get to the real story and once we do, it all feels a little rushed. Throughout the play we’re drip-fed information that in this dystopian future world (for some reason set in 2027 rather than a more feasible 20+ years in the future) women’s rights have been completely taken away. That’s a chilling and very relevant theme, given what is happening in the US at the moment, but I’d have liked a little more explanation on the “changing legislation” that had played a part in reaching the Doomsday situation in which the play was set. The treatment of the LGBTQ+ community in this vision of the world was rather underplayed, feeling more like a plot device than a strong statement.
It's Not About Coffee marks a strong debut from Little Coup Theatre Company. It possibly needs a little more work on its climax in order to make a stronger impact, but it’s well written, directed and performed and leaves audiences with plenty to think (and to worry) about.
Little Coup Theatre Company is driven by a commitment to creating timely theatre that champions climate justice, women’s rights, and the queer community. Their impressive debut, It’s Not About Coffee, runs at the Jack Studio Theatre until Saturday 19th July. Find out more and book here.
★ ★ ★
