Best of Three at Etcetera Theatre / Camden Fringe 31 July – 1 August 2023

‘A dark psychosexual drama with chess-like examination of gender, intimacy and trauma’ ★★★

In Nurit Chinn's Best of Three, we're plunged headfirst into the anxious world of high school reunions. As we witness Jean, Bo and Ted reconnect at a bar ahead of their 10th school reunion, we quickly discover that unfolding around the three friends is a dark psychosexual drama with chess-like examination of gender, intimacy and trauma.

The three characters reminisce, challenge one another, and fizz with tension as they move from a quiz night to old haunts, while Jean struggles to process the echoes of a past sexual trauma.

Maxi Himpe delivers engaging direction that moves across the stage and makes full use of the space; and the overall shape of the scenes is believably embodied by the actors. There is a frequent and highly effective use of long, uncomfortable pauses, a bold and confident move that works well, without putting the audience on edge. Then there’s the effect of oppressive sensuality, which has been successfully achieved with the help of intimacy coordinator, Sara Hazemi, a nice addition to a production dealing with such complex and at times ambiguous sexual themes.

Though there was an interesting use of red, white and blue lights, a nod to its American setting, there were moments when it wasn't entirely clear what we were looking at, or when in the timeline, and some extra light design may help clarify this: illustrating a time of day, the claustrophobia of the bathroom, etc. Nevertheless, the lighting overall was clean and clear-cut, giving room for the words to speak for themselves.

Personally, I’d also like to have seen some ambient sound design to immerse the audience in the moment (the bar, the bleachers, the bedroom) and ease the transition of set changes between scenes. In more minimal productions like these, it can help spread the weight of dramatic expectation and scene setting so it's not resting solely on the writing, which is a heavy load to bear. That said, the dialogue was snappy and interesting, with some sharp and insightful moments, a few well directed and acted exchanges that brought intrigue to the characters.

However, it's worth mentioning that the real scene-stealer was Maisie Norma Seaton as Jean, who delivered a charismatic performance with a degree of ease and realism that was at times unmatched by the rest of the cast, though all were effective and should be applauded.

Best of Three is certainly ambitious in its themes and will definitely make you think. That said, the usual markers of chronology like light and sound are not always deployed in a fool-proof fashion, and a viewer may find themselves a bit lost at moments. Perhaps with some revision of the sound design, we'd be looking at a play with the potential to linger at length in the mind.

All in all, though, I would recommend catching this production if you can, because ultimately there's nothing more haunting than our pasts, and Best of Three will show you why.

Best of Three by Nurit Chinn

Directed by Maxi Himpe

Etcetera Theatre, 31 July – 1 August 2023

Box Office: https://camdenfringe.com/events/best-of-three/

Reviewed by Alix Owen