FEAST FROM THE EAST

A review by Susy Brett

Celebrating the short play art form, Feast from the East is a showcase of the highlights from this year’s Ink Festival in Suffolk.

Over a weekend in April, East Anglian creatives came together to showcase a selection of short and complete plays, varying in genre and length and style. The best of the festival, including plays by big names Richard Curtis and Shappi Khorsandi, has now transferred to London’s Tristan Bates Theatre for an evening that thoroughly deserves one’s attention.

Play 1: Another Suitcase, Another Hall by Richard Curtis, directed by Julia Sowerbutts & Huw Brentnall

The evening starts with Richard Curtis’s hilarious take on an obsessive director and his exasperated performer (not to mention a dreaming stagehand). Short, funny and to the point – Another Suitcase, Another Hall tapped into every performer’s frustrations in a matter of minutes.

Play 2: Invisible Irene by Jackie Carreira, directed by Dugald Bruce-Lockhart

Invisible Irene is a poignant examination of ageing and ageism told through an older woman’s “spring clean”. There are some powerful ideas here, discussing the invisibility of older women and oddness of regret. Some musings are more interesting than others, and the pacing could be improved, but nevertheless Ann Bryson delivers an earnest performance.

Play 3: Ping Pong Club by Ed Jones, directed by Tim Bentinck

Ping Pong Club is a brilliant character comedy based around an office ping pong club. The fleshing out of dorky Richard, plucky Alice and sly Maxton is integral, so their interactions are thoroughly engaging and compelling throughout. Not to mention, Ping Pong Club features easily the most entertaining ping pong match I’ve ever seen.

Play 4: After Prospero by Martha Loader, directed by Peter Kavanagh

Set 400 years after the Tempest, After Prospero borrows Shakespeare’s Ariel and Miranda to make a point about Brexit. It’s a clever move to use such renowned works to make a point about living in a glorified past, without acknowledging the problems that were present both in Shakespeare’s works and the ‘good old days’. There’s a lot of food for thought here, though one may be a bit lost without knowledge of The Tempest. Nonetheless, this is a piece that will stay with its audience for a long time after it ends.

Play 5: That’s Great! by Shaun Kitchener, directed by Paul Schlesinger

A stand out performance by Ed Jones makes this brilliantly funny, character comedy absolutely unmissable. Jones has the audience in the palm of his hand as the socially awkward yet adorable Rory, invoking audible gasps, awws and laughs aplenty as Rory spirals through the piece.

Play 6: Nina’s Not Okay by Shappi Khorsandi, directed by Jane Zarins

Shappi Khorsandi’s well paced five-minute monologue tells the story of a disastrous night out, peeling back its main character’s layers slowly for a painful and relatable reveal. It fully grasps the horror of first heartbreak, and the whiplash that occurs in the aftermath.

Play 7: Wellington by Scarlett Curtis, directed by Jane Zarins

Wellington is a heart-warming play depicting three generations of women as they watch the recent Royal wedding. Through the eyes of a grandmother, mother and daughter, we get an insight into family, feminism and regrets through the decades. It feels startlingly honest, almost like a real snapshot into a real home.

Play 8: Mixed Up by James McDermott, directed by James Christopher

Mixed Up is an emotional rollercoaster of a short play, as we hear a love story from start to end, told with real vulnerability from an excellent Will Howard. This is a beautiful script focusing on gender identity and heartbreak, with both the capacity to bring its audience to both laughter and tears. It also boasts some fantastic one-liners that music nerds will love.

Play 9: A Selfish Boy by Christopher Reason, directed by Peter Kavanagh

A clever exploration of an older man’s past, told from his future, exploring his wobbly relationship with his mother and culminating in the reveal of a family secret. A Selfish Boy looks at mental health and the frustration of living with a struggling family member, as well as its continuing impact and the pain of regret.

Catch Ink Festival’s Feast from the East at the Tristan Bates Theatre until May 18

Photo Credit: Origin 8 Photography