Lost in a story
- Alison Manning
- 13 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Lost Atoms, a Frantic Assembly Production, coproduced with Curve, Mayflower Southampton and the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. Written by Anna Jordan, directed by Scott Graham. At The Belgrade Theatre until 25 October then continuing on tour.
Review by Alison Manning.
Lost Atoms is a Frantic Assembly Production, coproduced with Curve, Mayflower Southampton and the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. Written by Anna Jordan (Succession, Killing Eve, One Day, The Unreturning) and directed by the Artistic Director of Frantic Assembly, Scott Graham, it tells the story of Jess (Hannah Sinclair Robinson) and Robbie (Joe Layton) as they reflect on the history of their relationship and its possible futures.
The set is very striking and dominates the stage, cleverly consisting of a huge wall of drawers which can be climbed up and around on with great dexterity. In an entrancing and intriguing opening scene, Jess and Robbie scale it, at first in fairly straightforward diagonal and vertical lines, and then in increasingly contorted but graceful positions, pulling themselves on drawer handles, climbing drawers that magically open to assist their ascent and pulling improbable things from other drawers, such as illuminated candles and cups of coffee.
Throughout the production the versatile drawers are used to stow props, produce changes of costume, provide illumination or act as seats. A doorway, or platform, in the middle raises up to form an angled bed, or even, sometimes, a seaside walkway. Two square chairs complete the set, moved around in sequence with each other, sometimes upended and frequently climbed over.
We follow the story of Robbie, who trains young people to cook, and Jess from their first meeting, in the café where Jess works, to dating, to starting a relationship and how this proceeds. Every so often the narrative is broken by a sudden shift in lighting and Robbie and Jess are unexpectedly and abruptly outside of the action in some indeterminate place and time, where they discuss what's coming next, debate the accuracy of their reflections, or express reluctance to relive the next part of the story.
Jess is studying for an MA in fairy tales, in particular focussing on their dark origins and the various retellings of them. This cleverly parallels with the retelling of their own story and how a slight change of perspective, misremembrance, omission or addition can change the whole tone of the story.
Jess and Robbie’s relationship starts off as almost a modern fairytale, with a chance meeting in a café and a quick escalation to a passionate and heartfelt romance. We are left contemplating who is whose knight in shining armour and wonder if they will ever get their happily ever after.
Frantic Assembly is renowned for its innovative physical theatre and this was demonstrated in this production, not only through the adventurous drawer climbing by the two actors, but also through lifts and twists at other significant moments in the play, such as the complex sequence that represents the increasing intimacy between Jess and Robbie. This movement in itself is an extra layer of storytelling.
This is a play with some dramatic moments, such as when there’s a break in the narrative or a shift in time, and this is powerfully reinforced by striking lighting and sound effects. There is great variety in the lighting, sometimes the whole outer edge of the wall of drawers is lit up, sometimes just the edge of the inner doorway and occasionally lights are shone from individual drawers or particular things spotlighted, and occasionally individual illuminated lightbulbs are held within an actor’ s hand. The colours of the lights sometimes change too, such as turning red at an intense moment. Atmospheric bursts of music also help highlight certain sections and scene changes.
Overall, this is a play that is by turns humorous and by turns heartbreaking. Like the original dark versions of the fairytales to which it refers, it not only deals with idealised love, but also doesn’t shy away from difficult issues, such as grief, loss, depression and relationship issues. It is a fascinating exploration of the power of storytelling and how our stories can be reshaped by our own retelling and by the fallibility of our memories.
Lost Atoms is on at The Belgrade theatre, Coventry, till 25 October, and then journeys on to Colchester, Salford, Worthing, Southampton, Bristol and London. Catch it when you can! To book at the Belgrade go here: https://www.belgrade.co.uk/events/lost-atoms/ . Full tour dates can be found here: www.franticassembly.co.uk
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