Thirty Six Questions at Pleasance London Review
Written by Cathie for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
What is love? How does it happen between people, and how can we measure it? Oneness Productions has been inspired by the original psychological study to create the show Thirty Six Questions to answer the age old question of how do we fall in love? What could go wrong?
Directed with nuance by Oli Bates, we meet two individuals who have been tested to find they are supposedly soulmates and have to answer thirty six questions to complete the dating show. All seems to go well at first for Ant and Pro when they meet; however, it soon becomes clear that with each press of the red button, their encounter is reset, and only Ant remembers each occasion that happens. It rapidly becomes deeply psychological as they experience neither hunger nor thirst, sleep or excitement and their only way out of the room is to finish the thirty six questions.
Jack De Henin as Ant was a mix of impassioned charmer and vulnerable sincerity. His frustration is palpable as he desperately tries to move through the questions with Pro before resigning himself to truly opening up with honesty and integrity instead of only showing what conditions he thinks she wants to hear. Writer and producer Flo Petrie as Pro, a vulnerable but brave woman who is seeking love and happiness despite her emotional scars. Her layered performance is inspiring and heartfelt.
The themes of communication, connection, the impact of childhood trauma, religious trauma and the vulnerability in opening up to another are beautifully drawn in a gradual unveiling. The main drawback of this approach is that while we see Pro being open and vulnerable, her entire life and scars laid bare, we don’t see much of Ant’s vulnerabilities and therefore can feel uneven. However, the finale does imply this will be changed by the characters in the aftermath, it would be more resonant on stage to see the exploration of his mental health and identity in as much detail as Pro’s.
The set is incredibly minimalist, with two single cots, a stand with a red button and an interactive screen to showcase the questions in a plain black room. The bare surroundings are directly addressed by both characters to fully focus the audience’s and characters attention on the developing relationship and allows no room for distractions. It works very well to heighten the tension and showcase the seriousness of the character’s emotional journeys.
This show’s running time is 65 minutes long, although it takes seventeen minutes to get past question one, the pace is fairly consistent and the approach to see all the different questions posed is powerful and profound. At times the pace could be tightened but overall works well to tell the unusual love story of these two characters.
This is a profound and incredibly interesting short play which raises all kinds of questions about love, compatibility and human nature itself. Its answer to the question of soulmates remains open ended but the solution of being open and honest to allow true communication and connection between others is beautiful. If you enjoy witty plays which give interesting and intriguing answers to all of the primal questions of life then this is the show for you.
Thirty Six Questions plays at Pleasance, London from 15-17 October
★★★★
