Love Bites at the Calder Bookshop Theatre

Love Bites at the Calder Bookshop Theatre

20 May, 2009
by: Belias

"Good Lord, you want to buy a book?" The gent behind the counter quizzically asks me. He shouldn’t be so surprised I think; it is a bookstore after all. I take a swig of my wine and look around the room. I wonder if being a purveyor of fine independent literature is still profitable in this day and age. If financial transactions do not actually occur then maybe it’s time to close shop. Though, maybe he is right to be shocked. Retail time is over, and the crowd inside is not here to read, but to see a play. Well, a series of plays, but the point still stands.

I turn to finish my transaction, and a man who was dressed as a court-jester just five minutes ago begins to discuss my purchase with me. It is a signed first edition of Submarine by Joe Dunthorne, and the court-jester is actor Donal Coonan, who informs me that though amusing, the book loses the plot a bit in the final act. I suggest a novel and thank him for his insight, and return to my seat in front of the stage as the lights dim. A stranger intermission than most, but this is what is occurring on the opening night of Love Bites, a series of five one-act plays which are receiving their premier at The Calder Bookshop Theatre in Southwark.

A collaborative production, Love Bites is made up of five separate plays, all set in a hotel and loosely focused on the theme of love. The first two plays, shown before the intermission, start the night off in a comedic fashion, and follow a drunken affair in process, and an anxiety filled family visit. These opening plays are for me the highlights, and both strike a balance between relatable situations and exaggerated elements. The quality of the writing provides some genuine laughs, and the actors are likeable and believable, and show wonderful comedic timing.

The comedic mood changes post-intermission however, as the following two segments pursue a more dramatic course. Touching on subjects such as addiction and deception, the writing and acting of these segments are also of a high quality, though the shift away from comedy hurt the momentum of the production. With the final segment 'Ding!', there is a return to quirky and light-hearted subject matter, and its unique premise and wonderful dialogue ends the night on a very positive note.

It is sometimes difficult for collaborative works to come across as perfectly balanced, and with each segment approaching the theme in a different way, at times Love Bites does seem uneven. In a strange way however, this unevenness works well and manages to strengthen the message of the production. At times Love Bites is difficult to watch and full of anxiety, disappointment, lust, anger, dependence and frustration. Other times however, the production is bursting with hope, love and acceptance, and it seems that nothing could go wrong for the characters involved. What could be a more accurate metaphor for most relationships than that?

Love Bites is showing for a handful of dates at The Calder Bookshop Theatre until May 29th.

For tickets, visit TicketSource.

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Belias