Snakes and Ladders is a Losing Game is exhibiting on the Old Red Lion Theatre as a part of their Freshfest, a competition of brand-new theatre. It is genuinely all the time a privilege to witness a artistic act at its start, to see one thing nobody has earlier than. And I can’t even think about what the nerves should be like for all concerned. My hope is that Snakes and Ladders will reside a life past tonight, past the Old Red Lion, and change into the superb play it has all of the potential to be. Sarah (Casey Taylor-Williams) performs board video games together with her ex,…
Rating
Ok
An unconvincing interpretation of an important concept, Snakes and Ladders is a Losing Game turns board recreation pressure to the max, in a complicated love triangle-cum-therapy scenario.
Snakes and Ladders is a Losing Game is exhibiting on the Old Red Lion Theatre as a part of their Freshfest, a competition of brand-new theatre. It is genuinely all the time a privilege to witness a artistic act at its start, to see one thing nobody has earlier than. And I can’t even think about what the nerves should be like for all concerned. My hope is that Snakes and Ladders will reside a life past tonight, past the Old Red Lion, and change into the superb play it has all of the potential to be.
Sarah (Casey Taylor-Williams) performs board video games together with her ex, Jack (River Norris), each Wednesday. Not as a result of it’s ‘their thing’ however as a result of Sarah’s counsellor has informed her that’s what she ought to be doing. She’s in {couples} counselling together with her (unseen) girlfriend, Alice, who additionally occurs to be Jack’s ex as effectively. We observe them by way of a handful of evenings once they undergo old favourites like Monopoly, Scrabble, and naturally Snakes and Ladders.
Writer and director Benedict Esdale has give you an important idea. Playing is how we discover ways to be a person – by way of creativeness, interplay and exploration. Play is its personal very legit type of remedy and options within the ideas and writings of many therapists and psychoanalysts. So, it appears to me to be so easy however so glorious {that a} play has been written about somebody in remedy who has been informed to play video games.
However, the potential talked about earlier is just not reached tonight. Esdale’s script doesn’t ship a coherent and pure narrative. Jack and Sarah’s chummy chatter has some out-of-place poetic turns of phrase that leads Taylor-Williams and Norris into some unnatural sounding dialog. We don’t actually resolve what’s going on: What drove Sarah to counselling with Alice within the first place? What is it that made a delicate playful lad immediately flip vicious? These look like large plot factors that fail to make sense come the tip.
While the pacing is off – it felt like there was no reprieve from disagreements and pressure as a result of they got here thick and quick with no let up – the course is motivating, notably these little moments of characterisation within the blackouts between scenes. There are particulars within the actors’ performances that assist us consider of their characters.
It is a unbelievable concept. Therapy with out the therapist within the room, and the potential that taking part in and video games can convey. I do hope you retain operating with it, Esdale. Play with it and see what you discover.
Written and directed by: Benedict Esdale
Snakes and Ladders is a Losing Game performs at Old Red Lion Theatre till 24 February. Further data available right here.
