Secrets by Secret Hour Theatre at The Lion and Unicorn theatre, Kentish Town is a series of short plays all interwoven.
The first vignette Only Professionally, written by Gregory Skulnick, is set in a casting directors office where a casting for a small scale play in Devon is being held. The casting director explains to the actor that the role being cast requires nudity. What ensues is, in the words Greg Skulnick gives to Casting Director and she uses it often, is a juxtaposition between the two characters.
Actor eloquently and passionately arguing both her case against appearing naked and for the character being a victim in the storyline. Helen Jessica Liggat is delightful to watch as Casting Director, who challenges, provokes, flirts and finally manipulates Actor, brilliantly played by Hayley Osborne.
A fast paced exchange of dialogue between the characters with many themes covered in a short space of time and all thought provoking.
Velenzia Spearpoint directs a sharp & fluid play.
As we fade into the next short play, It was funny the first time, written by Ben Francis, the sound effect suggests that we are in an institution of some kind . Dickon Farmar as Geoff gives a monologue recounting his obsession with a woman and his actions which lead to murder. The character Geoff displays sociopathic behaviour in his lack of remorse. As we realise where he is when he sardonically states; “You don`t have to be clinically psychotic to work here but it helps.” Well directed by Elizabeth Sian Crockett
The next short play is a two hander, Just how it is, by Megan Fellows, in which we discover that the middle aged man lying face down on the bed with a gag in his mouth is a politican, as his male aide enters dressed in womens underwear and holding a crop whip as he embarrassingly plays dominatrix to the Politicians subservient.
Parys Jordan plays the aide who questions why the Politician will not take him on a campaign trip but is happy to have him with him on an excursion to an inner city school. Megan Fellows challenges modern progressive liberal hypocrisy and this reviewers personal favourite was when Megan Fellows gives Parys Jordans character a rousing speech with a twist on Enoch Powells infamous Rivers of blood speech. The character points out the disparity between rich and poor, the gentrification of London being socially cleansed and how the Thames will flow blue rivers of Etonian blood. Direction from Kennedy Bloomer.
The final vignette and a monologue written by Alexis Boddy, Mote in your eye. Directed by Jodi Burgess. Sian Eleanor Green appears as a bubbly, cynically happy woman on a workplace team building exercise, where her secret is revealed to the audience as we are confided to that the story she gave to the group of her father taking her to steam rallies and funfairs is not the reality of her father being in a far right wing political organisation when she was growing up and his hatred of homosexuality to such an extent that she witnessed as a child her father inflicting extreme violence upon his younger brother, her favourite uncle, because he came out to his elder brother as gay. As the scene comes to a conclusion we discover that she too is gay. Directed by Jodi Burgess.
This worked exceptionally well and a mention for Greg Jordan as technichian.
Exceptional writing, acting, directing from all involved. An innovative thought provoking piece of new writing theatre.
MARK SAVAGE
The Open Door 