Theatreguide.London
www.theatreguide.london
The
Harmony Test
Hampstead
Theatre Spring 2024
Zoe and Kash are trying to get pregnant. They are at the all-too-familiar place where the 'having fun' part of getting pregnant has morphed into the conscious and conscientious place of 'working' at trying to get pregnant. This will charge these two with venturing into as yet unexplored challenges of their relationship.
Naomi and Charlie are at the end of their relationship. They are out of sync. Charlie is blissfully still committed to the relationship while Naomi has moved on. She has found her future, at least for now, in fitness instructor, Rocco.
Both these couples at different places and headed in different directions. All four are exhibiting their responsibility to their partner.
This very well may sound like familiar territory, couples in crisis, but in playwright Richard Malloy’s sharp and painful script he intercuts some very funny reactions with startling devastating moments.
On an evening out for the women, the three men get themselves well-and-thoroughly drunk. In one moment, three “new best-friends” dance and sing karaoke style. A moment later, it dawns on Charlie that Rocco is the other man, his competition.
The Harmony Test is in the very capable hands of director Alice Hamilton, who gently balances the tender and sometimes painfully intimate moments with the uproariously funny moments. She is able to keep it realistic and believable.
Pearl Chanda has found the very the very sympathetic Zoe. She is the adult in the room. Bally Gill as Kash is often childlike.
Jemima Rooper as Naomi sits on the fence of her future and her responsibility to Miles Twomey’s clueless Charlie. Twomey has a monologue in the middle about how he sees the world that is riveting.
Sandro Rosta stretches the “pretty boy” into a real human being.
The entire production team is, not surprisingly, deserving of accolades. It is truly a delight to see so many elements come together to support this playwright’s ability to move from very comedic moments to the very tragic.
Catherine
Lamm
|
Receive
alerts
every time we post a new review
|
Review of The Harmony Test - Hampstead Theatre 2024