Lovesong (Oberon Modern Plays)

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Throughout the performance I thought of Maggie and William as a unit, and so when Maggie died it felt as though William was left at a loose end and appeared vulnerable without Maggie; the sorrowful atmosphere could’ve easily accounted for the death of both characters. One way in which this was achieved was by the repetition of William saying ‘blue’ each time Maggie swallowed a blue pill.

An elderly man dances with the memory of his young wife; a young man makes love to the woman his new wife will eventually become. However, their marriage survives his addictive tendencies, temptations of infidelity on both sides, and an inability to have children that affects them both profoundly but manifests in different ways. Frantic Assembly is the operating name of Frantic Theatre Company Ltd, a Registered Charity, no 1113716.is a question we all ask ourselves as we grow older, and while this show may be shamelessly emotionally manipulative with its musical underscoring and videos of rising flocks of starlings, the manipulation of time that is most heart-stoppingly effective. Her plays Splendour and Tiny Dynamite were commissioned by Paines Plough and are published by Oberon Books.

is as tender as the bruised peaches that fall to the ground in the garden of the elderly couple's US home. Maggie’s death was choreographed very simply, and yet managed to create an extremely sorrowful atmosphere. I think the reason it was so particularly hard-hitting was that even though physical theatre elements and explorative strategies created a non-naturalistic effect, the original plot beneath it is an entirely realistic depiction of a couple’s lives together and shows how being so in love and having each other as a constant shields them from recognising how quickly the things around them change until they’re near the end of their lives. Whilst she was younger she often wore brightly coloured clothes such as her blue dress- this could’ve hinted at her aspirations for an exciting and vivid future, however as she grew older she wore colours that were much more dull- this could’ve symbolised her passion fading. However, the differentiating factor in their voices was that while the volume of Margaret’s voice fluctuated depending on the situation, Maggie’s voice was much louder the majority of the time.Lovesong is the story of one couple, told from two different points in their lives: as young lovers in their twenties and as worldly companions looking back on their relationship from old age. The sadness of mortality, the sense of loss, is balanced by the delightful quirkiness of Morgan's text, which is by turns playful and illuminating. A playful, heart-warmingly funny and tragic drama, LOVESONG speaks to all ages with its exploration of ageing, falling in love, and the fragility of life. This use of soft lighting and gentle music, which accompanied the couple’s conversation about death, made the audience feel remorseful and naturally captured the universal fear of ageing. A crescendo of classical music faded into the scene as she tried to walk in her old shoes with difficulty.

One example of this is through voice; both characters of Margaret spoke with a fast paced, pronounced British accent. This larger space made the cross-cutting techniques more effective and gave the audience a feeling of looking in on the scenes. Her The Night is Darkest Before the Dawn was written and performed as part of The Great Game: Afghanistan cycle of plays which recently toured to the Pentagon. Using these furnishings for entrances and exits gave the impression of all their memories together being tucked away. Leanne Rowe and Edward Bennett too are perfectly cast as the young couple whose dreams did not stand that cruellest of tests, the test of time.Though widely performed in the south of England over the last decade, we’re delighted to bring this beautiful and haunting drama to the North East. I say ‘watched’ but frankly I could only gaze at the play through tearful eyes; it is deeply moving without being in the least sentimental, achingly sad without being morbid.

The use of levels in this scene aided the visual impact; as their future selves were sat directly behind them. Lovesong’ worked as a Dali timepiece but made one ache for a recent past when such lovely works of art could be enjoyed in real time.

In Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett's beautifully choreographed production, today and yesterday are in a constant pas de deux with each other.