Review of [UN]LOVEABLE: A work in progress performance @ Traverse Theatre

Birdy made it down to the Traverse Theatre once again, this time to partake in not one, not two… but FIVE work-in-progress performances from the Not So Nice! Theatre Company. Its name? [UN]LOVEABLE.

I was really hyped for [UN]LOVEABLE, a pre-Valentine’s Day show taking place on Friday 13th – because, why not?! With bizarre breakups, absurd affairs and eccentric entanglements, the show invites us to “delve into the other side of love: being ‘unloveable’.”

I took my seat in the Traverse 2, and got settled in for what was sure to be an entertaining night.

Clown Divorce by Russ Russell

We kicked off with Chris Veteri on stage as a clown character attempting to push an extremely heavy suitcase, before giving a very energetic monologue about his failed marriage with a fellow clown. She even took his clown shoes and his red nose! (Granted, he has red face paint for his lips, but hey ho, you don’t necessarily think straight when you’re going through trauma).

It’s a bitter but entertaining rampage of emotions as we get to hear about what went wrong in this doomed relationship. A great start to the night.

Wish Me Luck by Melissa Ainsworth

Next up is Wish Me Luck, and we’re presented with Cassie, played by Hannah-Mae Engstrom, looking a tad distressed of an evening by a bus stop in the dark. We soon find out why, when a confused stranger called Tony (Jamie Cowan) stops her from throwing herself in front of oncoming traffic to “maim or seriously injure” herself. Her reasoning? Getting hit by a car might bring her ex back to her.

This performance feels reminiscent of some of the strange coping methods we all delve into when a breakup occurs – although, throwing yourself in front of a car is definitely on the extreme end! Tony is the voice of reason, but has his own hurt to work through. It’s an anti-Valentine’s Day meet cute between these two hurting strangers, and could be just what they both need.

Tit For Tat by Ryan Lithgow

Tit for Tat takes place in the (I’m assuming unisex) toilets of an awards show, where two playwrights, Nathan (Chris Veteri) and Darcey (Stan Ross) go at it over their failed relationship… despite their breakup having occurred four years ago, it’s still raw and rubbing the spot only makes it rawer as the two confront each other over their weaponised art.

Thankfully, their friend Ellie (Samuela Noumtchuet), who’s sick of being in the middle of this fight, finally comes in to tell it like it is. It’s a very welcome break in the vitriol (as an audience member, it was getting a bit much) and we hear the perspective of someone who knows how badly they’re both hurting, and can make them realise it, too. Will they ever get through this? It’s an emotional slow-burn performance that kind of sneaks up on you.

La Solitude by Emma McCaffrey

The standout of the night for me was La Solitude by Emma McCaffrey. This solo powerhouse of a performance won me over pretty much immediately, starting when Lee is eight years old in the doctor’s office, and diagnosed with autism. At the time she’s happy, and doesn’t realise exactly what’s going on – but the toll it takes on her life soon becomes apparent as we follow Lee in different stages of her life.

We feel the pain of Lee’s struggles with the way people treat her both at school, and at home. Her parents love her, but assume she doesn’t want to find love elsewhere. Lee wants to be able to get a job, meet people who want to get to know her, and maybe even find love one day – but there are so many walls stopping her. It’s a poignant comment on the reality of loneliness for so many of those with learning disabilities.

Defective by Grace Ava Baker

Set in a dystopian future, Defective is about what might happen if we work out how to detect from birth the people who will grow up to be serial killers, rapists, terrorists, genocidal maniacs, et al. The ones who’ll cause harm to society. The solution? Euthanise the baby upon detecting the defective, for the good of humanity tomorrow.

One mother, Abigail (Indigo Buchanan) finds herself in the situation where her baby is deemed ‘defective’ by an assessor (Eleanor Tate) and has to make a quick decision on how to handle this emotional and profound situation. I’m not sure anyone in the mother’s shoes would have done any differently, which brings up some questions (such as nature vs nurture). I really enjoyed this one – what a great performance to end on!

Overall

I very much enjoyed [UN]LOVEABLE, which served as a pre-Valentine’s Day Anti-Valentine show! It wasn’t in the slightest bit romantic, but there’s still love in each and every one of these stories, which is what makes them so powerful to watch. I had a fantoosh time.