★★★★

“Sam Shepard’s intelligent play, is skilfully directed by Simon Evans and brilliantly acted”

Sometimes you have such high expectations for a cast and a writer, only to have them dashed quickly and radically. So when you realise that a production is only 65 minutes long, you hope beyond hope that this isn’t one of those instances.

Fortunately, this isn’t the case for Fool For Love at Found 111. It is without doubt 65 glorious minutes of outstanding, all be it, intense acting, with a smouldering and daring storyline.

Photo by Marc Brenner

Synopsis

Confined to a run-down motel room Eddie (Adam Rothenburg) and May (Lydia Wilson) spit truth and lies at each other as they fight for a love that they can’t live with, or without. Past, present and reality collide in this searingly funny, dark portrayal of love, loss and identity set against the stark backdrop of the Mojave Desert.

Photo by Marc Brenner

With a cast of just four actors of which Rothenburg and Wilson lead this is a deadly dark intense piece. At times I really felt I was holding my breath as we lurched from one scene to another. For those that haven’t visited this ‘pop-up’ theatre as you enter you go up 70 plus stairs to a smallish room with rows of chairs surrounding the set.

From within the darkness you can see someone sat in a chair, a Stetson lowered over the old man’s (Joe McGann) face. The lights go out completely and when they come up Rothenburg and Wilson are engaged in a highly animated conversation, so we begin.

I won’t go into too much detail because this would spoil it. There’s another reason, why I wouldn’t say more and that’s because this production needs a huge amount of concentration and thought. It takes a while to digest and I’m not sure I’ve fully processed what I saw, possibly because it’s open to your own interpretation.

What I can divulge is whilst the plot may require contemplation the acting doesn’t. All four actors are outstanding but specifically Rothenburg, Wilson and McGann. I’d have like to have seen more from Luke Neal as Martin ‘the boyfriend’ however given the shortness of the play, we aren’t given opportunities to fully explore his character, but that’s just me being picky.

Photo by Marc Brenner

This is the last production shown at the quirky Found 111, which I feel is a shame. It’s had innovative and different productions. I mean who can forget the delights of the last twelve months in The Dazzle, Bug, Unfaithful and now Fool For Love. Steeped in creative history and a blank canvas to create something special, I hope that this truly it’s not the last we’ve seen of this performance space.

Sam Shepard’s intelligent play, is skilfully directed by Simon Evans and brilliantly acted. It demonstrates, that given the right circumstances we can all be Fools For Love but it’s how we choose to act, or learn which shapes our future paths and lives.

This production deserves full audiences now showing until 17th December. Book using the links below or via the booking tab on the home page.