Lovesong

Abi Morgan's Lovesong is strikingly contemplative and sweet without being overtly romantic. It has a quiet, naturalistic manner that stems from its graceful characters who we see simultaneously as bright, young newly weds and in their later years as old age and illness propel them towards the end.

In dealing with the idea of losing something so precious Lovesong elicits an audible chorus of sniffs and tears by the final scene, and it's undeniably sweet. But its emotional impact feels quite generic. There's nothing especially interesting or touching about these characters. Morgan selects scenes that depict the most common of problems. Here, questions about children, responsibility, infidelity and the future are defined perhaps by the times they live in but not necessarily by the characters.

By contrast, the production gives us a lot to talk about. The acting is uniformly strong despite the limiting parts and the direction and choreography by Scott Graham and Steven Hoggart is compelling. They supplement the script with intimate dances that see the actors bend and twirl around each others bodies, all the while maintaining a desperate contact with one another. Their intricate knowledge of each other is presented as something at the heart of us all, something delicate but also quite inherent and deep-seated, much like the play itself. 

Naima Khan