The Gap, Hope Mill Theatre
Denise Welch as Corral & Matthew Kelly as Walter in THE GAP, credit Pamela Raith Written by Kirsty
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
Being allowed to experience new pieces of theatre is always a total joy, and The Gap written by Jim Cartwright is no exception, and well “frig my Jaffas” if it wasn’t one of the best pieces of theatre I have been lucky enough to see in a long time.
In the extremely capable hands of Matthew Kelly and Denice Welch, The Gap tells the story of Walter and Corral, best friends who escape the dreary North and head to 1960s Soho filled with the belief that the roads are paved with gold and that fame and fortune are not far behind. The story as we learn isn’t that simple, and through extremely clever direction from Anthony Banks, the audience learns that every form of refuge has its price, and we are left asking was it a price worth paying?
Through the 90 minute piece, we learn that whilst once Walter and Corral were inseparable, and that Walter was Corral’s constant companion during her glory years of notoriety in Soho mixing with the glitterati, we meet a very different version of these friends. We meet them at the end of their lives, living in sheltered accommodation, and a council-run nursing home, and they tell us the story of their lives with laughter, love and a lot of sadness.
Whilst on the surface, Corral was glamorous and had it all, we quickly learn that she lost so much, including any chance at real love thanks to her chosen occupation and choosing a Malteaser with a moustache, abandoning her only true friend. Walter’s life is just as sad, where we learn that he spent most of his time in London working in the dens of iniquity littered through Soho and he ended up giving up all his dreams for the women in his life, Corral and his mother. Cartwright is not afraid to offer a gutwrenching look into their worlds, and nothing is sacred from sex work to depression and everything inbetween. Kelly and Welch are perfect foils for each other, with Walter’s urbane and at times prissy view of the world delivered to perfection by Kelly, to Welch’s ability to make us all root for Corral and want her to succeed and be happy. Both work exceptionally well together, and the closing scenes brought a tear to many of the audience. However, what was evident was their comedic timing, and the way that they brought the audience in as another part of the story, like we were just sitting listening to their story for no other reason than to allow them to tell it.
There were many moments where the guffaws from the audience risked drowning Kelly and Welch out and that is testament to a well rounded piece. The scenes of Corral working on an adult phone line whilst washing her floors were a particular highlight. Banks’s direction was sharp and clever, and this piece reminded me of Alan Bennett’s iconic Talking Heads, with the natural acting style and the effortless story telling.
Sam Diaz’s video design was stunning, and alongside Ben and Max Ringham’s sound design, the gaps in time were clearly and cleverly marked with pictures of icons of the era that was being discussed with music of that time also helping to move the piece along, speeding time up and filling the gaps perfectly. Andrzej Goulding’s costumes also fed perfectly to the times being discussed and allowed the pair to become side characters to aid in storytelling, I particularly enjoyed Mr Zed and his wonky wig.
In the end, Cartwright has written a beautiful piece of theatre, which allows important topics to be discussed and brought to light without being preachy or judgemental. I would love to see this play have a wider life and would work so well in other formats such as audio drama, or as a TV movie. I did not expect to laugh and cry at this, but I did both and would urge anyone to take a visit to the wonderful Hope Mill Theatre whilst you can.
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
