(from an online performance recorded in March 2023).
Two friends meet. Carly is fresh of the plane and up for a party. Jade is pleased to see her and falls in with the plan.
The evening involves the rush, intensity, and alcohol both physical and mental of those early maturity years.
Triggering events representing hard choices, emotional bonding and abandonment, questioning friendship and responsibilities by those sharing it to each other and to themselves, this is a lot to pack into around 40 minutes of running time.
Written and performed by Carly Durrer and Jade Harris-Tyler, actors who met at GSA during training, it is based on real events in their lives and how they navigate them.
A mixture of monologue, responses to voice-over phone calls and a little manic physical acting, the duo convey a serious message in a short time.
Jade thought that University might be an answer, but it turned out to be another problem that had no solution. Scared of friendship, for reasons which are a very well done reveal, the anger is real.
Carly’s American outlook on life, from optimism to mystic interests in “angel numbers” (11 is one, apparently?) may draw Jade out, but also entangle and engender further confusion.
The first two thirds of the play are short scenes familiar to everybody from those life years. Chaotic night out and moments of internal self-doubt.
Where this comes into its own is the final ten minutes of de-brief. The sometimes un-natural language which preceded it is gone.
There is a real and believable element as they celebrate the smaller and more personal and realise that the opinions of others are less important than they feel. Making sense of their lives and situations in confident silence, this reaches a promising conclusion and a sound level of both writing and performance.
There is an opportunity to see this production live at the Camden Fringe from 31st July 31st until 7th August 2023. For details, see camdenfringe.com/events/trustfall