Writer and Director: Chess Hayden
When playing Roshambo (or, to give its more common name in Britain, Rock, Paper, Scissors), there is little chance to strategise your way to a win. Beating your opponent is just as likely as their victory over you, but the odds of a tie are equal with both.
That makes the game a useful tool for decision-making over small matters. Over bigger ones, though – say, what to do with the body of an abusive ex-boyfriend whose fall down the stairs has proved fatal – it begins to seem a little bit inappropriate.
The juxtaposition of major incident and trivial game is at the heart of Chess Hayden’s comedy about flatmates Dylan (Jimmy Roberts) and Lucy (Emma Lo), as they struggle in the aftermath of Lucy’s ex’s death. Faced with the choice of calling the authorities or dumping the body, they agree to use Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide what to do. But as with the game, there is a third, complicating option. In this case, it’s the arrival of Dylan’s needy ex-girlfriend Jemma (Megan Cooper) whose presence scuppers the duo’s attempts to do either of their chosen options.
The interpersonal dynamics in Hayden’s script make for some fun romcom moments between the trio. Roberts, in particular, makes a delicious meal of his increasingly conflicted role in satisfying the competing demands of his best friend and his ex. Those romcom moments sit atop a well-paced farce that allows for some fine physical comedy moments, especially from Lo.
The pacing and the escalation of the stakes are meticulously plotted, giving Rock, Paper, Scissors that sense of logical illogicality possessed by the truly great stage farces. That helps to offset other niggles, such as the less-rounded writing of Jemma’s character. Even then, though, Cooper brings a more fleshed-out performance than when the same cast performed the play at the Hen and Chickens in 2023. The written characters may not be as finely balanced as the rock, paper and scissors options in the game, but on stage, there is a greater sense of equity at play.
And that means that Rock, Paper, Scissors remains a great addition to the pantheon of stage farce. One hopes for a longer run in the show’s future: this is a fun evening that deserves a wider audience.
Continues until 11 May 2024
The Reviews Hub Score
Farcical romcom
