Review: Unlucky Me (Bread & Roses Theatre)

I was invited to review a rehearsed reading of Unlucky Me, written by Kym Nash, Helen White and Shannon Stuart.  This was held at the Bread and Roses theatre, and this was my first visit here.  There was a musician performing in another part of the building, and the venue had a really good vibe about it, but I digress.

The reading was completely un-staged. The six cast members sat on chairs facing the audience and stood when their character was involved in the reading.  The stage directions were also read out so this gave some indication of when scenes changed and what props would be involved if the play does develop into a staged production.

Ellie Spencer Harty, Gözde Kanyilmaz and Morgan Carson’s performances were engaging and gave a solid indication of what was going on with each of their roles, not just reading but adding a good deal of emotion and characterisation along the way. I enjoyed watching each of them as they took their turn speaking, and it became clear that despite this being a reading, some of the lines had been learned along the way, which is impressive considering the two day run and the billing as a reading.

Benjamin Astraeus, who I believe was covering as two characters, had a hard task with two different roles in this form, but he did this well.  Bit of a weird thing to say in a review but I will do anyway, he has the type of voice that is a delight to listen to on stage. I do think his characters would have been more distinct with perhaps the addition of maybe just an item of clothing or similar – to show the switch between the two.

To me a highlight was Blake Stratso as Dominic. Despite this being a reading, his stage presence was off the charts and Dominic was the character I felt I knew the most about once the reading had finished. (The information sheet about the play and cast helpfully shared that he’s bringing a one-man show, Turtle, to Camden Fringe in July.  I have already bought a ticket.)

At this reading, writer Kym Nash read the role of Lucky. With the creative process as it is, and as engaged as one becomes when working on a long piece of writing, I personally wonder if one person should direct, produce and perform when they are also the writer of an ensemble play. This is perhaps even more important when it is a rehearsed reading of a new work. Being in the position of viewing as an audience member gives more insight into what is working and what needs more development. Personally if I was ever in the position to bring a play to this point, I would sit in the middle or back of the room and observe not only the cast but also the audience reactions.  Just my opinion as I know from experience how the perspective can shift as a writer in different situations, and that sometimes you have to step outside the situation to see what is going on within.

The story itself was a good basis of a narrative.  I would like to see the characters fleshed out more, to understand the backstory a little bit better of the characters as well as the plot. Two examples of this, firstly Sophie was an interesting character who I wanted to know more about – why was she such a maneater, how had she left Dominic in the past and survived, for example. Jane had so little time that sadly the character was easy to forget about and this was a shame as Gözde Kanyilmaz felt underused, even in a reading. When she did get a moment to speak, she shone.

I definitely feel like this particular rehearsed reading would have benefited from the use of props, even minimally, to give more of a sense of what was going on at times.

With future development, and perhaps the assistance of a dramaturg or creative editor, this writing foundation could be built upon. With the addition of appropriate staging and props Unlucky Me has potential to appeal to a wider audience.

⭐⭐1/2

My photos of the curtain call of this rehearsed reading are over on my Instagram.

I was gifted a ticket for this show in exchange for an honest review.