Writer: Don Cotter
Director: Prav MJ
Successful, and wealthy banker, Olly tosses away a half-drunk cold cup of coffee which is picked up by a young homeless guy, Aaron. Seeing this, Olly instigates a short conversation to try and find out why Aaron is drinking the tossed-aside coffee.
From this unassuming start an intense series of interactions between the men occur over a short period of time where each opens up to their specific situation. Of course, things are rarely as they seem on the surface. Behind Olly’s brash arrogance is a man reeling in grief from the death of his partner. Aaron’s homelessness is a result of running away from a deeply religious upbringing that is at odds with who he is today.
Both are dealing with issues that run deep. One is surrounded by wealth and physical security, the other with nothing but the clothes on his back. Their chance meeting gives each the opportunity to speak openly and candidly about their respective situations, each trying to gain understanding or closure on where they are now.
The production offers a look behind the veil of people we come across in our day-to-day lives and makes us realise that what’s on the surface is rarely the whole story. Sam Walter is deeply engaging as the arrogant banker. His performance is commanding and deeply assured. Andrew Ewart is equally assured as the homeless Aaron, who shows that the loss of his physical space is just the tip of the overall loss he is experiencing.
Writer Don Cotter gives us that glimpse into the hidden world of one’s own fears and insecurities, but the narrative feels rushed and ultimately slightly unsatisfactory. Pushing for a longer production would give the story some space to develop into a more impactful story. This is compounded by Prav MJ’s sporadically flat direction. There are a lot of conversations between the two men where one is just speaking directly to the audience. It breaks the relationship between the two characters and distances the audience from the relationship building onstage. Some more naturalistic interactions would give more depth and engagement to a number of scenes.
That said, Love is Blue is a powerful, well-performed play that spotlights a range of oft-overlooked themes.
Runs until 22 July 2023 and then at Edinburgh Fringe
