A beautifully written and brilliantly performed, challenging and thought-provoking piece about two broken men.
Kenneth (not Kenny!) is a pianist who no longer plays, haunting a pub and being haunted by his past. Sam is a younger man with little education or culture, a lad always up for another pint of a fight, best friends with Snow, a cocaine user. They have nothing in common except the location and their flawed humanity.
Sam heard a piece of music last night which made him cry. He wants to know what it was. He suggests Kenny plays tunes until Sam recognises ‘his’ music.
There’s a feeling that violence is always present in Sam, scarcely controlled, yet he is the one who reaches out. Kenneth is sullen and forever sneering at Sam and putting him down. It’s a brilliant metaphor for the current relationship between the left-wing intelligentsia and the right-wing populists in the UK.
It lasted just one hour and twenty minutes and yet into that time they packed anger, joy, grief, loneliness, connection and joy. There were even some laugh out loud lines. The script was almost perfect. Both actors were brilliant. Tom Messmer’s portrayal of Sam was full of edgy energy while Aidan McConville as Kenneth showed that disdain so often has a core of misery.
This was one of the most powerful pieces of theatre I have seen in the last few years. A superb debut from BrightDog Theatre. I look forward to more of their productions.
Kenneth (not Kenny!) is a pianist who no longer plays, haunting a pub and being haunted by his past. Sam is a younger man with little education or culture, a lad always up for another pint of a fight, best friends with Snow, a cocaine user. They have nothing in common except the location and their flawed humanity.
Sam heard a piece of music last night which made him cry. He wants to know what it was. He suggests Kenny plays tunes until Sam recognises ‘his’ music.
There’s a feeling that violence is always present in Sam, scarcely controlled, yet he is the one who reaches out. Kenneth is sullen and forever sneering at Sam and putting him down. It’s a brilliant metaphor for the current relationship between the left-wing intelligentsia and the right-wing populists in the UK.
It lasted just one hour and twenty minutes and yet into that time they packed anger, joy, grief, loneliness, connection and joy. There were even some laugh out loud lines. The script was almost perfect. Both actors were brilliant. Tom Messmer’s portrayal of Sam was full of edgy energy while Aidan McConville as Kenneth showed that disdain so often has a core of misery.
This was one of the most powerful pieces of theatre I have seen in the last few years. A superb debut from BrightDog Theatre. I look forward to more of their productions.
I saw this play at the Printers Playhouse in Eastbourne on 20th September 2025.
Comments
Post a Comment