Fringe REVIEW: The Soft Subject (A love story) @The Warren
HYPHEN Theatre Company presents Chris Woodley’s autobiographical show which essentially is a love story with all the twists and turns you would expect. Framed within the context of a structured drama lesson, Woodley is an ex-state school drama teacher, our hearts melt as the two protagonists meet an
A Soft Subject. Love. Turns out it ain’t all soft…..
HYPHEN Theatre Company presents Chris Woodley’s autobiographical show which essentially is a love story with all the twists and turns you would expect. Framed within the context of a structured drama lesson, Woodley is an ex-state school drama teacher, our hearts melt as the two protagonists meet and fall into the domestic trials that is the real deal.
It is refreshing to watch the unfolding of a story where the two main characters just happen to be gay – that’s not really the thing. Woodley points out this is not a story of homophobia, this is not a story of loss, this is a love story and our captivation rattles along at the same pace of those first heady months we have all experienced, lived and at times lost.
The success here is Woodley himself, it is a one man show, he has a normality, energy, kindness and yes theatrical camp quality that lures his audience in and is completely disabling for the blows that rain down in the unfolding drama that is love. But this is not simply a tale of two star-crossed lovers and scraping off the woodchips of life, but also of family and the love story we have with our parents and they with us.
The emotional punch of the evening comes not from Woodley himself but from an email read by his father, I am assuming his actual father, an unexpected twist that delivers everything a moment of magic should. It is as wrenching a moment as it is terrific.
The Soft Subject, (A love story) continues at The Warren, St Peter’s Church, North York Place, Brighton, Wednesday, May 30th and Thursday, May 31 at 8:30pm.
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