It’s fitting that the first half of
this kitchen sink drama revolves around…well…the kitchen sink. We all argue
with our housemates about the washing up, that’s a universal truth. But what if
those same dish-avoiding housemates are in an open relationship? And what if
that makes you question your feelings for your own partner?
All That is a new play from writer Shaun Kitchener, whose work
includes writing for British soap opera Hollyoaks. There’s a similar feel here,
with serious themes bubbling away beneath a light-hearted yet thoroughly
engaging production. Home-owners Taylor (Kitchener) and Riley (James
Robert-Moore) are, financial worries aside, in a strong and stable
relationship. Cracks emerge, though, when they rent their spare room to a
couple in an open relationship – Jamie (Tom Bovington) and Parker (Christopher
Cohen). Initially judgemental, Taylor and Riley are forced to face up to some
(literal) home truths. It’s quite the clichéd set-up and the narrative is
wholly predictable, but it’s an approachable and frank look at gay
relationships, breaking down the taboo of open relationships (even though
straight couples are never considered here).
What Kitchener does
so well is paint the situation in shades of grey. Taylor and Riley are by no
means the perfectly settled couple – perhaps they’re naively following
heteronormative convention? Likewise Jamie and Parker aren’t necessarily
home-wrecking villains, but are perhaps just living an honest life. And when *spoiler
alert* Taylor succumbs to the advances of Jamie, it’s arguable whether he
was manipulated or if this would’ve happened eventually.
As a result, these characters feel
like real people with real problems that we can empathise and identify with,
not just voyeuristically judge from a distance. Dialogue is natural and the
on-stage chemistry is, for the most part, credible between the flustered
Taylor, the suave and mysterious Jamie, and the calmly reliable Riley. There’s
plenty of comedy too, predominantly from Cohen’s eccentric “colourful” Parker
and Roberta Morris as Taylor’s gossipping best mate who gets all the best lines,
delivered with exceptional comic timing. It’s through her inquisitive eye that
we really see the others, something that begins with the crude but amusing
opening scene. As with her, for many All
That will be quite the eye-opener.
And yet Kitchener wisely refrains
from lecturing and allows us to make up our own minds. The end may come
suddenly, but it leaves no conclusion. For some, open relationships work; for
others the very idea is abhorrent. All that matters is each to his own.
4/5
Watch: All That runs at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre London until 10th
June.
Photos: Matthew Foster
