REVIEW: BEFORE AFTER at Southwark Playhouse 7 Feb – 2 Mar 2024

‘attractive and relatable, and you hope their romance works out because hoping it doesn’t, would be like kicking puppies’ ★★★

Ami and Ben. Bemi? Amen? This is the rom-commiest rom-com you ever did see. There’s a major meet-cute, there’s instant unlikely attraction, there’s a misunderstanding leading to a row leading to a tragic incident (that’s the “before”) leading to a re-acquaintance with a ticking time-bomb of a secret (the “after”).  It is ever so, ever so, Nora Ephron but not as witty. There is also a lot of singing. A lot. Stuart Matthew Price, the composer, has listened to a lot of Sondheim and concluded that you can get away with never really doing tunes. The cast of two, lovely voices, big smiles, loads of pizzazz, never really settle on a melody but still manage to sing for most of the ninety minutes. There is a lot of singing. Also borrowed from Sondheim and specifically “Sunday in the Park with George” is the major plot thread of an artist discovering himself and blocking out the rest of the world, except in this case his girlfriend is a brand-new gallery owner encouraging him to exhibit, rather than an ignored muse. But still, he’s mean to her because it’s Art.

It is all very well done. The set, of distressed wood with paint splashes that probably came from his atelier, locates the couple well, and is sufficiently neutral to stand for cafes and parks and assorted meeting-places. The musicians – guitar, piano, and cello – make a lot of lovely noise, and the actors – Grace Mouat and Jacob Fowler – are attractive and relatable, and you hope their romance works out because hoping it doesn’t, would be like kicking puppies. But there isn’t much to it, really. For all the work and the accomplishment of the company, there isn’t much to it. And certainly nothing you can hum.

Photography: Danny Kaan

THE GREY AREA PRESENTS

BEFORE AFTER

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY STUART MATTHEW PRICE

BOOK AND ADDITIONAL LYRICS BY TIMOTHY KNAPMAN

at Southward Playhouse7 Feb – 2 Mar 2024

Box Office https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/before-after/

Reviewed  by Chris Lilly