Games For Lovers

          Tickets for this show are only between £20 and £35, it has Evanna Lynch performing (who is most known for playing Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter film series), plus its being performed at The Vaults which is a theatre space I've been to only once before, so I decided to see if this comedy had lived up to all I'd heard. For the most part it really did, but I had a few issues.

          My first issue is with the theatre itself. At the name of the theatre suggests, its in the vaulted arched close to Waterloo Station in Central London. The noise of trains passing overhead is a little distracting but is to be expected, however the stench of damp was slightly overpowering. It wasn't even a wet day however the smell filled my nostrils from the moment I walked through the door. This was very similar to when I visited Above The Stag, however the smell at The Vaults lingered into the performance space itself. This smell isn't ideal when one is trying to become immersed in the show and almost forget about the real world.

          The second issue I had was with the performance of Billy Postlethwaite. Not with the fact he was over acting, this was the character, but with his constant breaking of the fourth wall. For those of you who don't know this is when the actor or actors acknowledge the audience is there watching. Sometimes this can work well in a performance, but not here. To start with he was the only one of the four actors doing it. Yes there where times when all of them would talk out to the audience during moments of narration, but the other actors would sort of blankly look in the audiences direction. Billy however seemed to make a point of looking people directly in the eyes. He would then also do it whilst performing scenes. When a couple arrived late or a women went to the toilet, he interacted with them and went 'off script'. Very off putting and out of place seeing as no one else was doing this. If this was a decision of the director Anthony Banks, then this was a very poor and misguided decision. If this was all on Billy, then someone really needs to have a stern word from him. Other than his audience interaction, he was a brilliant actor.

          The show is performed with traverse staging, with the audience on two sides of the stage, facing towards each other. This is another slight, and I mean only slight, issue I have. I always find when this is the staging, the actors are very much always making a conscious effort to look in the direction of both audience so as to not always be performing to one side. It was very much something I could see all the actors were constantly aware of. Right I've been looking in this direction, so let me now suddenly change where I'm looking so the other half can see me. The only show I've seen where traverse staging was brilliantly utilised was at the Young Vic theatre for their 2016 and 2017 production of Yerma.

          The staging was an interesting choice, with large geometric shapes in bright colours on the walls and floor along with geometric shapes like the building blocks in a toy box. I'm not overly sure on why this staging was chosen, but it worked well. Maybe it was because it wasn't distracting from the performances. It sort of faded into the background almost, to allow the actors to stand out. This is one possibility anyway. It was beautifully staged and directed by Anthony Banks, as well as wonderful and emotive lighting by Matt Haskin and sound design by Ben and Max Ringham.

          It has been superbly written by Ryan Craig, whose plays usually involve both ethical and social matters. In Games For Lovers he expertly navigates the world of sex and love, with the characters caught in a complex game of rivalry, desire and seduction. I found it to be an accurate portrayal of young adults finding there feet in the world of sex and relationships. From the cocky man who believes he must act like a bit of a prick to attract women, to the girl who's confused by her emotions. From the boy who develops feelings for his best friend to the girl who sees any other woman as a threat. All four actors performed brilliantly, really making their characters human. I have to say though I was so impressed by Calum Callaghan who's performance really stood out. He was the one who for me was the most real and the one who I could most easily identify with. Not because of how his character was feeling or what he was doing, but because something about him made me instantly connected. Evanna Lynch was also exceptionally good, though at times I couldn't help but see similarities between her character in this show and Luna Lovegood. Her performance though was heartfelt and was at times full of such realism. 

          There was the perfect balance of comedy and drama. Moments of sadness then suddenly something happens where you just cant help but laugh. I was so glad I saw this show as it really brightened up my evening. If you have the chance, get a ticket. Just be prepared for the smell of damp.

To purchase ticket or find out more information, click here