★ ★ ★

Reviewer - Bronagh

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review

Content Warning: PTSD, full frontal nudity, strong language, use of strobe, loud noises, references to war.

Paper Cut is the story of Kyle, a wounded gay war veteran who would do anything for his country. He has returned to the United States from Afghanistan, following an explosion where he lost his legs and, as we later find out, his testicles and most of his penis. He has been stripped of his manhood, his job and his pride, a shell of the man he once was.

I found the first ten or so minutes of Paper Cut to be quite confusing and complicated to follow, but this soon started to make some sense. Paper Cut is a series of flashbacks to Kyle’s deployment in Afghanistan, to him sitting on his own using his laptop to the present where he is living with his brother, Jack, who he had previously fallen out with after outing him as gay. This itself could have been explored more, given that Kyle is coming to terms with his own sexuality. The show felt very ‘stop/start’, jittery almost, with prolonged moments of silence, which could be jarring in parts. There were, however, some well-received jokes throughout which were genuinely funny.

We could have done with a lot more context and exploration of the themes, all of which the writer could have really gotten their teeth into. From being gay in the Army to struggles after returning from war, to losing your limbs, even to family affairs – these are all things that could have been really delved into instead of muddled through. If anything, I find it strange that the writer wouldn’t explore these further when it would have added so much more depth to the play.

The cast isn’t bad at all, they are all genuinely talented and deserved a lot more to work with. Callum Mardy plays Kyle well, portraying his frustration and angst realistically. Tobie Donovan (Harry) provides some welcome comedic relief in his pursuit of meeting Kyle in person. Joe Bollard (Jack) is great as Kyle’s brother, mainly calm and collected. Prince Kundai (Chuck) gives a fantastic performance as Kyle’s fellow soldier.

The stage and lighting are very much worth a mention, making the most of a very small space. Various lights hang vertically and change colour and brightness according to the scene. This is a very simple design, which is certainly effective.

Overall, Paper Cut really does have potential but it just doesn’t feel ‘ready’ yet. This could be a brilliant show if the bigger picture wasn’t skimmed over and more attention was given to important themes.