We sit surrounding a bed placed at the centre of the stage – a constant focal point throughout the shifting scenes of CONVERSATIONS AFTER SEX. Our introduction is immediately intimate – two half naked strangers, fresh from a one night stand, exchange small talk as they search for their clothes. Their awkward pleasantries reveal more than politeness as we begin to catch glimpses of vulnerability that lie beneath the surface.
We move through a series of short scenes, expertly directed by Jess Edwards, with each immersing us within a sexual encounter and the moments after, with the captivating Olivia Lindsay portraying the woman at the centre of it all. While the men she meets, all played ingeniously by Julian Moore-Cook, are often quick to confide in her, revealing their own hardships, she initially remains reserved, wounded by a past relationship that has left her grief stricken. As the narrative unfolds, we begin to learn more about her, her strained relationship with her uptight sister (played superbly by Jo Herbert) and her lingering heartbreak and the longing for what might have been. During a moment of introspection, she tells one of her lovers, ‘You know what I’ve learned after all this shit? You can’t love someone if they don’t love themselves.’
Lindsay and Moore-Cook anchor the piece, carrying the emotional energy and pace of the scenes and the moments in between where we witness evocative movement sequences driven by bursts of pounding music that depict physical intimacy. Mark O’Halloran’s script skilfully navigates a landscape of grief through fleeting snapshots of connection, exploring how people can touch each other’s lives, even briefly, in ways that leave a mark.
Don’t miss CONVERSATIONS AFTER SEX at the Park Theatre until 17th May. Tickets from £15.
PR invite.
Photos by Jake Bush.
the theatre gal 