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A little less conversation: After Sex @Arcolatheatre

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According to research, millennials in rich countries are having sex less these days. But they were prepared to talk more about it. So, it is no surprise to see a story about what happens when a series of no-strings-attached encounters start to become attachments. And the conversations arising from it. Such is the premise of After Sex, Siofra Dromgoole’s two-hander of the conversations afterwards. It’s not particularly sexy or erotic, and the snappy pacing and short scenes sometimes make you wish they stayed longer to finish the conversation. Nevertheless, it is still a funny and, at times, bittersweet picture of single lives in the big city. It’s currently playing at the Arcola Theatre .  He is bi and works for her in an office job. She is neither ready for a commitment nor to let the office know what’s happening. He isn’t prepared to tell his mum there’s someone special in his life. He doesn’t speak to his dad, so his mum is his world. It’s a perfect relationship/arrangement. Or so it

Intimate history lessons: Dessa Rose @TrafStudios

Dessa Rose is a musical that tells of the unlikely friendship that forms between a white woman and an escaped slave in the American South in 1846. Based on the book of the same name by Sherley Anne Williams, it feels at times to be an epic history lesson and melodrama, but the performances and the intimate space of Trafalgar Studios 2 make it a surprisingly enjoyable and emotional musical evening.

The story is based upon two separate events; a woman who took part in a slavery revolt and the story of a white woman who took in runaway slaves. When the piece is focused on these two stories, it is incredible. Particularly as the roles are played by Cynthia Erivo and Cassidy Janson. Both have big voices and convey a level of emotion and intensity that has you transfixed on them.


However there are also so many other subplots and superfluous characters you may not be quite sure about what musical you are watching at times, particularly in the first half. But the cast work as such a fine ensemble and make the most of the material you tend to overlook the large chunks of plot and history thrown at you at the expense of characterisation.

But even if the book is long and confusing, the music and lyrics fare better. Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (of Ragtime fame), blend a variety of styles.  Gospel, African beats, call and response, and hints of ragtime are all present and are used often for great effect, particularly as the piece gets moving in the second half.

The production is fairly simple yet effective. In the small space of the second theatre in Trafalgar Studios you don't need much. And here the drama was taking place literally at my feet (although I was seated in the front row).

The musicians were placed throughout the theatre and this was surprisingly effective, although perhaps placing the musical director out of centre stage might have been less distracting (even if it was necessary for everyone to keep in time).

While upstairs at Trafalgar Studios, people queue for returns to see Richard III, if you can't get in to that, Dessa Rose downstairs will provide some unexpected surprises with its strong performances and refreshing female perspective on the pre Civil War American South.

First impressions with @Johnnyfoxlondon follow
listen to ‘Freedom Boo: Dessa Rose’ on Audioboo

Photo credits: production and publicity photos Scott Rylander

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