Writer: Bess Wohl
Director: Lynette Linton
Irene and Manuel meet at a busy bar in the centre of Barcelona before drunkenly going back to Manuel’s apartment – where the water’s been switched off, the demolition team are coming in the morning, and much to Irene’s despair, there isn’t a drop of alcohol left in the flat other than a bottle of Rioja that Manuel was planning to keep for a special occasion.
The pair couldn’t be more opposite – Irene (Lily Collins) is a brash, patriotic American in Barcelona for a bachelorette party, enamoured by how ‘cute’ everything is in Spain and feeling sufficiently well-travelled with her love of tapas and trusty guidebook. Manuel (Álvaro Morte), on the other hand, is written as a stereotypically broodingly passionate European, more sophisticated than Irene with his knowledge of wine and interest in Classical music, well-versed in politics and not shy to voice his opinion. Although their initial plan in coming back to the apartment was for the obvious, Irene is scattered and distracted, excitedly exploring her surroundings and, although occasionally falling back into his advances, definitely more interested in talking (mainly about herself) rather than anything else.
Honestly, Lily Collins is pretty much playing the same character as Emily in Paris – just this time, she’s in Barcelona. Irene is purposefully annoying, nattering away at 10 miles an hour about anything and everything that pops into her mind. Manuel is, for the most part, masking his distaste for her personality in the hope he can still get laid, which makes their snappy two-hander both humorous and surprisingly quite charming.
The pair initially has quite surface-level conversations, and although they occasionally veer into deeper subject matters such as the war in Iraq, these are quite quickly skirted over and never fully revisited. In the last 30 minutes or so, however, the tone of the show changes quite dramatically – the pair completely open up to each other about their various hardships and struggles, and although the depth is welcome, it almost comes a little too suddenly, feeling like an afterthought shoehorned in rather than the crux of the show.
This belated addition of depth is always at the periphery through Morte’s suspicious glances out of the window and occasional off-the-cuff remarks, but there is the expectation that the ‘reveal’ would be slightly bigger and more dramatic, and instead, it just becomes very sad and touching, leaving a strange fizzle of intensity that detracts slightly from their earlier lightness. That being said, the transition into complicated relationships, grief, guilt and regret is explored well from them, with Manuel letting his walls down and Irene finally taking a pause to comfort him.
The chemistry between Morte and Collins is undeniable. The duo carries the show with their well-paced timing and comedic characterisations while being completely believable as two strangers drunkenly lusting after each other. The toe-sucking scene is a bit much, but it at least shows Morte’s dedication to his role as the passionate, lusty Spaniard. Their abrupt shifts between bickering, flirting and confiding are enjoyable, keeping the audience on their own toes as they try to predict what will happen next. The relationship between the characters is captivating, and although both are flawed, you can’t help but be drawn to them and be strangely quite endeared to them both.
Frankie Bradshaw’s set works well in conjunction with Jai Morjaria’s lighting design to create a cosy Spanish home. Morjaria’s shadow work in the latter half of the show adds a hauntingly beautiful visualisation of Morte’s pain and sadness. Barcelona is an intriguing show with two great leads; it just needs a bit more oomph leading into the latter half of the show to allow the tonal shift to impact as intended.
Runs until 11 January 2024
The Reviews Hub Score
Undeniable Chemistry
