REVIEW | Where We Are Now, Blue Room Theatre Company
★ ★ ★ .5
Reviewer - Russell
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
Where we are now.
Not to be confused with David Bowie's masterful last gift to the world.
Where ARE WE now?
Where WE are NOW.
Is a brief- forty minutes long- glimpse into what must have been a very toxic relationship between Miles (played by the writer-Cal Newman) and Florence (played by Greta Hansen). Both are in their late twenties / early thirties.
It starts with five-plus minutes of contemplative music, whilst Miles and Florence stand staring lifeless, contemplating their pasts.
And then the music stops and we’re off.
Florence and Miles chance upon each other in Miles's failing music shop, where Florence has popped in to steal a guitar string.
Really Flo, really?
It quickly becomes apparent that this relationship was not a happy experience.
What with Miles being a drug addict n that, sleeping around and behaving obnoxiously, addicted to cocaine and alcohol, and appearing to be socially inept?
Florence has moved on dramatically from this relationship, she’s blossomed, oh boy has she blossomed, and now runs a successful talent agency, she is also in a happy successful new relationship with her fiancé Kenneth.
Kenneth sounds like a decent bloke, in fact, Kenneth sounds like exactly the sort of bloke you dread your much-loved ex to be involved with.
Physically and emotionally satisfying her every need.
He’s everything Miles isn't and will never be.
Everyone’s had their own “Kenneth” -right?
So, screw you, Danny Maybank...sorry, I mean screw you, Kenneth!
Miles is still very much in love with Florence, he thought they’d be together forever and he’s jealous of her success and newfound happiness, whereas she says she finds everything about him infuriating.
And you get the feeling that maybe Florence deliberately chanced upon Miles just to rub in how wonderful and perfect her new life and her perfect new partner are.
I think Miles and Flo (She doesn't like being called Flo) Miles and Flo would have been a nightmare to go on a double date with.
What with Miles off his nut on cocaine and Florence on the brink of a breakdown at any moment, I'm guessing it would be one of those "Oh my Godddddd, is that the time, I could sit and watch you two destroy each other for hours, but best get cracking, early start tomorrow" double dates. Because neither of them seems capable of having any fun. Or even worse, imagine being an unfortunate neighbour with them bickering and shouting til 3 am every morning, whilst ‘Love will tear us apart’ was played on an endless loop.
I'm not picturing Whoopy cushions or all-nighters of ‘Peep Show’ here, or carefree dancing in bedsit kitchens.
They quickly end up exploring the darkest parts of this disturbing relationship. Which seems to have been a series of destructive and heartbreaking events, ending in the inevitable breakup. We do eventually discover that Florence still loves Miles and hates herself for that.
Oh Miles. Oh Flo.
Cheer up for gawd sake.
I would have liked to have seen a few glimpses of how they got together.
I'm guessing a drunken uni party.
Or what attracted them to each other in the first place.
Because there’s no mention of it here.
I liked Florence but found it difficult to like anything about Miles. He's still clinging on to his past, this one tiny slice of happiness. His life is still a mess, a recovering drug and alcohol addict and a failed shop owner. You got what you deserved Miles.
It's a well-written slice of destructive relationship drama that could be expanded to give us some back story and perhaps make the characters more lovable and easier to connect with.
I hope we get to see more writing from Cal Newman. It's an interesting piece, with lovely intense acting and terrific directing from Marley Brown.
The play is performed in the Annka Kulty Gallery which, once inside, is a beautiful space hidden amongst repurposed containers and industrial units, near the top end of Hackney Road. If there's a more jolting juxtaposition of the beauty of a Gallery and the starkness of its surroundings I'd like to see it.
A deliberately intense piece of theatre that shows lots of promise from everyone involved.
