LUNGS. By Duncan McMillan. Directed by Bianca Amato. Performed by Jazzara Jaslyn and Sanda Shandu. Theatre on the Bay
MEGAN CHORITZ reviews
I didn’t expect that at all. To be honest, I had had a long and seriously miserable day and that’s not a good frame of mind to see a play, but am I so glad I did. Because from the very first moment of this utterly charming two-hander I was disarmed, drawn in, seduced, enchanted and ultimately blown away.
The play is a ‘couples’ drama. Two young people grapple with the idea of having a child, and then deal with the fallout of their choices, the bumps in the road, the dead ends, U turns and unexpected surprises that life and relationships churn up.
The script is fantastic. Fresh, funny, sharp, poignant, and a tennis match of dialogue that is a combination of natural, high-speed train, theatrical and even deep and meaningful. I loved the dialogue. The structure – part organic and modern, part linear and traditional, and circular in themes and ideas, is clever and revealing, with jumps in time, before returning in on itself. Powerful questions about who we are and how we live on the planet are raised in conversations that are familiar and strangely dystopian.
The delivery makes it a gem
So yes, a wonderful script, but it is the delivery of it that makes it a complete gem of a theatrical experience. Jazzara is sublime. She is transformed into a ball of awkward energy, who fluctuates between cute and clever, biting and irrational, warm and devoted, unreachable and provocative. But every single moment of her masterclass in performance is perfectly timed, and meticulous. I adored her every move, stillness, laugh, cry and she gave me all the feels. All of them. Sanda Shandu has a slightly tougher job in having to hold and contain the character of his partner, but he is also fantastic, particularly a solo moment that reflects the passing of time with agony and hopelessness. And the magic between the two of them is palpable. Which is good, because they are all over each other often and I completely bought it.
Bianca Amato has done a superb job of directing this piece. She has managed to develop the pace and build of the story with great subtlety, and she has created a palette of deeply funny and incredibly moving moments. Obviously, I am being all clever now. But while I was watching, laughing, crying, and totally absorbed, I was totally in the moment.
I didn’t love the way that the set was painted, and there were a few jagged lighting moments, but hey, that’s literally me being a theatre person.
Go and let Lungs charm you. It is unavoidable.
What: Lungs
Where and when: Theatre on the Bay from 10 to 24 February 2024
Tickets: Webtickets
WS
