Review: Act of God (Riverside Studios)
Review by Holly-Lily
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Funny, vulnerable and incredibly thought-provoking; Act of God at Riverside Studios is a phenomenal piece of theatre. In a world where the media gives far too much attention to influencers who encourage toxic masculinity and preach that emotion is weak and emasculating, this play is the perfect piece of light and hope in all this destructive darkness. In his impressive debut, actor and writer Jacob O’Connor has created something darkly funny that touches on mental health, class and masculinity. It shows perfectly how, through emotion, you find strength, and through vulnerability you find freedom.
Act of God follows Jack, played by O’Connor, through a ten-week ‘therapy via poetry course’ to help him confront, understand and move past a major life event that he is very reluctant to face. Therapist Sarah, played by Lucy Blott, tries to guide Jack against simply ‘going through the motions’, and instead, feeling his way through the process. The pair play chess, talk and sometimes argue, but that is when the real progress is being made. Jack brings a heartfelt and beautiful poem he has written (though he’d hate you calling it that) to each session, which gradually becomes less about football and his joy at kissing a girl who looked like Emily Blunt (specifically in The Devil Wears Prada), and becomes more exposing and powerful as he realises he can no longer avoid addressing that ‘thing’ he is there to talk about. Act of God cleverly uses humour to highlight how grief is often masked in order to survive, and begs the question of whether there is ever a wrong time to tell the truth; your truth.
O’Connor’s writing is sharp, witty and unbelievably clever. The play jumps wonderfully between the past and present, with flashbacks being used to break up the standard dialogue and create a clear picture of Jack's life before. The comedy is placed strategically, abruptly cutting off vulnerable conversations where Jack is slowly revealing more about himself, forcing the audience to feel the same defeat Sarah the therapist feels as she is getting closer and closer to having a breakthrough with him. It wonderfully reflects how therapy, and any form of grief and self-reflection, is a long process, and one that requires patience and kindness. The humour is used intentionally, with no jokes failing to be caught by the audience. O’Connor has created complex and well-developed characters, with not one feeling more important than another, that the audience invests in entirely from the very beginning. The vulnerable and intense moments were just as effective, and the poetry was gorgeous. The ratio of humour to drama was balanced perfectly and made it so powerful. The audience are like flies on the wall in every conversation, and they feel incredibly natural and believable. The play takes the audience on a journey and ends in a place that completely recontextualises everything that came prior, giving certain moments new and even more significant meanings.
Director Sean Turner utilised the space brilliantly. The staging being in the round was the perfect way to make the experience almost an immersive one for the audience. By us surrounding the actors and being in such proximity, the intimacy of the play is heightened. We could hear every breath and see every subtle facial expression. The audience almost acts as the walls of the confined room Jack is in, intensifying the pressure the character is feeling. Despite the inevitable nature of having backs to at least one side of the audience at all times, at no point did it lose my attention. There was a great balance of stillness in more serious moments, and then playful, more lively moments were broken up by movement. There was a lovely section later on when Jack started to recite his memory of the event, and it was shown through short, sharp moments of movement and text. The actors were changing their positioning on stage, so when the moment jumped in time a little, the audience's perspective of the event shifted slightly. It was smoothly executed and a clever way to show how memories can be distorted through trauma and how often we forget things, or perhaps choose to remember things differently, when we are not willing to face the truth.
The design was incredibly sleek. The set was simple; just 2 chairs and a table with a chessboard on it. The lighting by GM and the sound design by Velia De Nicola were simple and complemented each other. A small light hung from the ceiling that appeared knotted and wrapped around itself, representing the themes of emotional confusion, tangled relationships and trapped hope. The light pulsed in multiple colours, like a fast heartbeat during the transitions that represented a time jump. A blue light was used during flashbacks, symbolising the distance and sadness Jack feels towards these memories. Velia De Nicola supported these transitions with a wind-like noise that almost blew the characters into the next scene.
The acting was equally as brilliant as all the other components. Jacob O’Connor and Lucy Blott had a palpable chemistry and bounced off each other wonderfully. O’Connor was charming and funny, but it was clear how much emotion was bubbling under the surface despite the jokes he was making. He did a great job of holding back these intense feelings, so that when he released them at the end, it was particularly powerful and moving. Lucy Blott did a great job at multi-rolling, raising the pitch of her voice for Sophie and becoming more high-spirited and free in her movements. Lucy also played a very convincingly educated, stern but kind therapist. Both actors held the audience's attention in the palm of their hand. You would be able to hear a pin drop during their more vulnerable moments.
Act of God is a great example of really intelligent theatre. Every component felt equally important, and the entire piece felt incredibly cohesive and well thought out. The audience is taken on each character’s journey, as well as being encouraged to go on their own. It is extremely exciting to come away from watching a new piece of theatre that feels as unique, poignant and relatable as this, and with this being O’Connor’s debut play, he is sure to have a wonderfully successful career ahead of him. I couldn’t recommend more for people to watch Act of God; the most powerful piece of theatre I have seen in such a long time, and for it to be fit within just 65 minutes, is especially impressive.
Act of God plays at the Riverside Studios Theatre until 26th November. Tickets from: https://riversidestudios.co.uk/whats-on/uZW-act-of-god/
Photos by Madeleine Bloxham