Edinburgh Fringe 2024
Flat 2
From The Middle Theatre Co
Genre: Drama, Fringe Theatre, New Writing, Theatre
Venue: The Space on the Mile
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
The premise for Flat 2 is incredibly simple: what if you and your boyfriend move in with your best friend and her boyfriend only for one from each couple to die within less than 24 hours? The explorations of grief differ between the two characters, highlighting issues surrounding gender and financial challenges in relation to impossible situations. The most notable element of the play is undoubtedly the use of soundscapes, this heavy use of music being used to create cinematic montages which indicate the passing of time, cover transitions and even to set up the premise.
Review
The premise for Flat 2 is incredibly simple: what if you and your boyfriend move in with your best friend and her boyfriend only for one from each couple to die within less than 24 hours? A depressing thought certainly. However, thankfully, the play is not one that is simply depressing, the script allowing light moments, humour interlaced through the more painful experiences. It is not simply a tragedy, but a story of real people going through a real (or arguably real – the theft of shop doormats could certainly be debated) situation.
The explorations of grief differ between the two characters, highlighting issues surrounding gender and financial challenges in relation to impossible situations. For Ava, grief is explored through numbness, through days spent on the sofa with a laptop and a cup of tea, often alone and silent. Lucy Foley’s performance is competent and effective, far calmer than that of her counterpart until her final scene. The breakdown of the barriers between herself and the grief she is holding back is sudden, a little unexpected and dramatic; whether it is as strong a piece of performance as it ought to be for such a poignant moment is uncertain however. By contrast, the other flatmate, played by Thomas Ashen, is boisterous in his handling of grief, highlighting the harsh contrast not only in how different individuals deal with grief but also how economic or other factors may become a part of the grieving process. Ashen’s performance is a powerful one, ranging from the quiet suffering facing away from the audience to teaching the audience how to drive a race car as though at a children’s party. The latter is a fun touch which adds something unusual to a primarily naturalistic play.
The most notable element of the play is undoubtedly the use of soundscapes, this heavy use of music being used to create cinematic montages which indicate the passing of time, cover transitions and even to set up the premise. In fact, the deaths of the two unseen characters are experienced by the audience purely through audio at the beginning of the show. This radio play moment situates us without the need for excessive exposition, the added element of a dark stage and auditorium allows the audience a moment to gather their thoughts and prepare to immerse themselves within the story. The uses of sound throughout are incredibly effective, adding something different to the portrayal.
Overall, this is well written and well performed piece, however, unfortunately, there are some clear challenges with sightlines, meaning that my back row view inhibited my experience during various poignant moments. This was a pity, as the unusual set up of the seating and the effort that had gone into the positioning of the set deserved to be seen.
