I knew I wanted to see Four Play from the second it was announced in one of the most catchy Instagram posts I have ever seen. This was not only an instant call to action because of the cast involved, but the music, of all things, kept me coming back to it as it embedded itself into my brain. I was invited to review, but couldn’t make it to the official press night, so I bought a ticket for a preview instead. The review below is based on that preview performance.
Walking into the Kings Head Theatre, the first thing that struck me from the layout was you would have a fantastic view from any seat for this show. The set (by Peiyao Wang) includes minimal pieces of furniture and incorporates copper piping which denotes the borders of where the action is (mostly) going to happen. The piping also becomes part of the set such as a wardrobe hanging space or base of a small platform. I found this quite striking it its simplicity.
The play, updated from its original form by writer Jake Brunger, begins with a very energetic sequence set in a gym. Considering the heatwave outside, I had a lot of respect for the performers involved in this scene alone. The ability to be “working out”, as well as delivering lines was skilled enough but the comic timing was also fantastic and this opening scene engaged the audience instantly from both the levels of energy involved and the humour landing well.
From here the laughs kept coming, in the first half at least. The 4 characters’ relationships were analysed in great detail with a background of wonderful music and lighting effects. Lighting (designed by Daniel Carter-Brennan) was used in a number of ways including to show passage of time at one point, and this worked to great effect.
There was a very noticeable contrast between the music and lighting at the start, where everything was more light hearted… and when the story arc progressed. There were fewer, more subtle, changes in the lights towards the end, when there was also less to laugh about.
With that said, of course the focus was on the performances from the first second, with a cast of this calibre, all of whom I had seen in shows before. In fact, I had seen each of them in a musical before so was interested to see them in straight play. (That term, in this instance, could not be more ironic.)
Could it be a coincidence that Jo Foster’s first appearance (as Andy) involved them plonking onto a sofa whilst wearing slippers? Either way, fans of Why am I So Single will enjoy the cerebral connection. This is pretty much where the similarities end though. Andy is enjoying being in a relationship with Michael and completely trusts in their agreements and rules of engagement (so to speak). Jo Foster’s performance in this role took me on a rollercoaster of an emotional ride, as they portrayed a character going from confident to vulnerable to angry and many other emotions along the way.
Lewis Cornay plays Rafe, all wide-eyed innocence and stumbling over his words when asking Michael (Daniel Bravo) if he’d be willing to help him and Pete (Zheng Xi Yong) by having sex with each of them in turn. A one off, because they’ve only been with each other and been together for seven and a half years. In front of the nervous Rafe and quietly observing Pete, Michael oozed confidence and experience and was the walking definition of why they’d chosen to ask him.
The contrast between the two couples was really interesting. Despite the fact Michael and Andy had been together less than half the time the other couple had existed, it felt almost like they were the “older (and taller) kids” the other two were in awe of. Meanwhile, Rafe and Pete had a seemingly charming innocence about their situation at the outset.
The rest of the show demonstrates quite effectively how people can be not entirely straightforward or as they initially seem. I am not going to include spoilers but will say that each of these characters at times evoked my sympathy, sometimes when it wasn’t even really deserved. It’s almost a case study of how different people deal with being in a couple and how even the seemingly perfect relationships, where both people in the situation align with their desires and wants, can be less than perfect after all. Although this is very much a queer play, the messages in it are universal.
The combination of thought provoking writing, a superb cast, and tight direction by Jack Sain has created a must-see treat of a production. If my diary permits, I will be heading back for a second viewing.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Four Play is showing at Kings Head Theatre until 17 August.
Production photos by Jack Sain
If you’d like to see my curtain call photos from this show, please have a look at my Instagram.
Jack Gibson is understudy for all four characters. These are four very different personalities; this is quite a mammoth task. I’d be interested to see what he makes of it.
The programme for this show is one of the best quality programmes I’ve seen, it’s more like a small souvenir brochure, with loads of beautiful photos, a really pleasant font, loads of information and very high quality paper. Gorgeous.
