This is Living – Trafalgar Studio

★★★

Starting life as a Edinburgh Fringe seven minute piece of theatre, this marks Liam Borrett‘s first foray into a full length show. Lasting one hour and fifty minutes it is both intense and harrowing to watch whilst being poignant and touching. If you are any age and have loved then you have lost, “This Is Living” and this play evidences the moments of grief in the time before you say your final goodbye at a funeral service.

We first meet Alice and Michael played by Tamla Kari and Michael Socha just as Alice has died. Taken then on a journey through their brief lives together, we watch them meet, see flirting, witness growth into a couple, feel their heartbreak enduring a miscarriage, then joy and an overall exuberance of living life to the full.

Photo Credit Alex Harvey-Brown

Kari gives an outstanding performance, her acting skills give a depth of character and makes you live and breathe every emotion that she portrayed. It’s hard to believe that Socha is making his West End debut here and I can’t help but feel that this is just the beginning of an astonishingly credible stage career.

The set (Sarah Beaton) cleverly creates a pool of water, the actors remain wet throughout and we gradually learn that Alice dies saving her three-year old daughter. The audience never actually sees the daughter in this two -hander piece but you feel a mother and fathers love for her none the less and the heartbreaking reality of what has been lost to all concerned. With small interjections of humour to break the moments, which lighten and gives shade to this darkly brilliant piece.

This brave play which is harrowing to watch, has your emotions soaring with euphoria at witnessing their happiness only to plummet you into despair at their desolation by losing the person they love. An important piece of new writing not to be missed and only running until 11th June tickets can be bought online via this link www.atgtickets.com/venues/trafalgar-studios

This is Living – Trafalgar Studio until 11th June

★★★ “An important piece of new writing not to be missed”