Writer: Aimee Walker-Reid
Director: George Rowlands
Kindred is an intimate piece examining a big question: how long can a lover be a carer before something snaps? Playing at Jack Studio Theatre this week, audiences heading to Brockley can expect to be pleasantly engaged by this two-hander which tickles your funny bone before piercing your heart.
Written by Aimee Walker-Reid, who also stars as Lois, Kindred revolves around a couple juggling poor mental health alongside multiple family dramas in the week prior to their wedding. Interspersed with flashbacks to key moments of their relationship, Walker-Reid has crafted a well-paced narrative and presents an endearing yet troubled couple in which audiences build genuine investment; which is no mean feat for a 60-minute show.
A relationship hitting the rocks so close to marriage could easily feel like a rather rushed and impractical concept. However, the carefully considered escalation of tension penned by Walker-Reid, alongside the intensely real passion displayed by the pair in the play’s climax, results in a satisfying and authentic experience.
As groom-to-be Matt, Finlay Vane Last is given some of the most interesting material to work with and he captivates attention early on with a seemingly charismatic persona. Vane Last shows a nice range, evoking genuine laughs and aching sympathy as the layers of Matt’s anxiety-ridden existence are stripped back.
Walker-Reid also offers light-hearted fun during the couple’s more playful bickering, though the extent of her talent is revealed at a slower pace. Lois adapts so much of her life to accommodate her struggling partner and, as such, the power of Walker-Reid’s performance is held back until her character finally starts to crack.
Overall, Kindred is an interesting examination of how one person’s mental health can weigh down another. Messy, yet honest, this piece doesn’t have answers to the problems it presents but offers a thought-provoking reflection on the limit of human empathy.
Runs until 20 January 2024
