REVIEW: The Least We Could Do at the Hope Theatre 10-28 October 2023

‘The play somewhat obfuscates from the core of the reality it allegorises’ ★★★

Please note that my review, and the play, contain references to suicide.

‘The Least We Could Do’ is a thinly veiled allegory for the story of Caroline Flack, a television presenter and actress who died by suicide in February 2020 after long periods of mental ill-health and a protracted ‘trial by media’ in the British tabloids. The play follows the slightly convoluted relationship between a journalist, her fiancé, and a television personality, essentially a stand-in for Flack, and aims to assess the culpability of the tabloid media in the lives of its subjects. 

Following Flack’s death, significant blame was directed at the press, specifically the notorious British tabloids. The actress Stephanie Davis launched a petition calling for new and stricter laws around safeguarding celebrities and people in the public eye, specifically aiming to prevent the sharing of private and unverified information. Interestingly, where Flack’s story was pulled apart by strangers in the press and online, Haling’s play zeroes in on an individual journalist and her specific, intimate relationship with the star. In this way, therefore, the play somewhat obfuscates from the core of the reality it allegorises. Haling’s story is, arguably, less a story about a callous news cycle that depends upon the promotion of outlandish and unsubstantiated claims to survive, and more an investigation of a significant but isolated betrayal between a closed circle of acquaintances.

Olivia Lindsay is wonderfully convincing as Levi Childs, the celebrity redolent with glamour whilst concealing a painful secret. The relationship between Melissa Saint and Dan Wolff as the engaged couple is somewhat less convincing, in particular, aspects of Wolff’s dogged adoration for Lindsay’s Childs come off as slightly farcical, which confuses the tone. The writing in the first half of the play is successfully compelling, drawing the audience into the mystery at the heart of the story. There is a beautiful image of a heart, heavy with longing, which is repeated at the play’s emotional climax and stayed with me. However, towards the end of the play the dialogue becomes a little more formulaic, which, together with a mildly implausible storyline, lessens the emotional impact.

Elsewhere in the production there is a strong use of sound, including recorded voices, and the simple but compelling set design felt thoughtful and added depth. Katharine Farmer’s direction is considered and there are interesting moments where characters appear to disappear whilst still being present, which works well. There are some logistical difficulties in managing the entrances and exits of the small cast, which threaten to undermine the audience’s immersion in the story.

The Least We Could Do, Kath Haling, The Hope Theatre, 10-28 October, (Blue Touch Paper Productions) https://www.thehopetheatre.com/productions/the-least-we-could-do/

Reviewed by Natalie MacKinnon