I was invited to see Water Party by Bespoke Plays London during a really busy week and initially said I couldn’t make it. But you know when an idea sticks with you? I am so glad I listened to instinct and not my ridiculously packed diary in this case. I got back in touch.
This was to be a workshop presentation of Water Party, with scripts in hand but more often than not the scripts were not noticeable. This is a cast packed full of talented people who bring the characters and story to life so convincingly that at one point I caught myself thinking I’d look something up later. Something that doesn’t actually exist!
Set in a scarily conceivable future where birth control is flowing in the water supply, The Bureau’s algorithm filters every couple’s application when they feel they want to have a baby. When they are approved they receive a supply of water for one year which does not contain birth control, and generally have a party to celebrate.
So we find ourselves watching such a party play out. Celeste (Caroline Ford) and Daniel (Jay Faisca) have received their water. The emotion of the realisation that their water has arrived was captivating and made it clear how much of a challenge it was to get "approved". This set the level of focus for the rest of the show for me. They invite two other couples, seemingly long term friends, to celebrate with them. Through their evening we find out secrets, truths and hear how their connections have developed over time.
Layla (Tiffany Smith) and Ray (Jack Whittle) turn up with their young baby Henry. The first of the set of friends to be successful at becoming parents, there is a sense of mild superiority but also a quiet disbelief that they are in this position. When Mara (Madeleine Heard) and Charlie (Will Cox) arrive, an offer to hold the baby followed by response “I haven’t had the lesson yet” brings you crashing back to the sense of everything being very different in this version of our future.
There is a tremendously talented set of people involved with this show. Writer and director Mimi Collins has created a narrative that takes you on several interwoven journeys at a fast pace, and as someone who often works out twists in advance I was thrilled to be surprised more than once by this fabulous writing.
The cast were absolutely top notch across the board. It felt like an honour to be in such an intimate setting seeing this show in its infancy and I cannot wait to both see this play as it evolves further and also to see more future work by Bespoke Plays London.
This run of Water Party has finished, but you can follow Bespoke Plays London on Instagram here to find out more about it.
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I was gifted a ticket for this show in exchange for an honest review.
