Review: ECHO (King's Head Theatre)

Review by Dan Ghigeanu

⭐️⭐️

As a big fan of horror and psychological thrillers, I was very excited to see this production. A deep dive into the dark side of human nature, paranoia, manipulation and a compelling story is the perfect recipe for a psychological thriller. Written by Susan Eve Haar and directed by Abigail Zealey Bess, ECHO, making its London premiere after two successful Fringe runs, previously named ‘Paper Doll’, promises unpredictability, sensuality and suspense.

The play starts with the couple, ‘He’ played by Kyle Rowe and ‘She’ by Amara Okereke, arriving in a dingy hotel room in New York, to celebrate their tenth-year anniversary. She doesn’t feel safe and is a bit weary of the room, but He is looking or trying to please her the best he can. The first few minutes of the play don’t necessarily feel like a beginning but more like a middle, making me feel like perhaps I should’ve watched or read something prior to the production. The story itself feels a bit messy and uneven at times, setting off a few different plot points, but never really seeing off their conclusion.

After arriving at the hotel, we find out that She is infertile, broken and feels completely empty on the inside. She is craving to be a mother and have a baby of her own, but not being able to do so affects both parties in the relationship. These are the moments that Amara Okereke shines the brightest with great facial expressions and impressive physical acting. Her performance makes you feel uncomfortable at times for all the right reasons. Her chemistry with Kyle Rowe is perfect, bouncing off each other’s energy, making it seem like they have been acting together for years.

Kyle Rowe’s character, apart from being the manipulative boyfriend, is also the comic relief of this play with some of his lines getting some big laughs from the audience. He is trying his best to please his partner, but knowing that he will always fall short no matter what is not the easiest pill to swallow. Same as Amara Okereke, Kyle Rowe’s acting is uncomfortable but feels very real. Both actors are doing an amazing job, but are unfortunately being let down by the material.

In between the first part of the show and the second part, we have a transition scene where the hotel room is rearranged by a stage crew member. The lightning by Daniel Carter-Brennan and video & projection by Matt Powell is impressive, shinning on the wall behind the bed, replicating the aurora borealis. This transition scene, although a bit too long it makes you really appreciate the creative work behind this production. The design by Peiyao Wang works extremely well for this production, setting the tone and location perfectly.

My problem with ECHO is that I feel it doesn’t really go anywhere in terms of story or character development. We meet ‘She’ and ‘He’ at a point in their life where they feel like ready to give up on each other, or their lives altogether, but we never quite find out why they are the way they are. We get glimpses or little clues thrown out, but the characters leave a lot of questions unanswered. We meet ‘He’ at a later point in his life, but it seems like he is the same character, manipulative and narcissistic, just older. With a talented creative team and cast behind it, ECHO sadly doesn’t quite deliver on its clear potential.

ECHO is playing at the King's Head Theatre until 17th August. Tickets from: https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/echo-q15t

Photos by Lidia Crisafulli