(Seen in February)
When a new law is proposed limiting individuals to only 140 words a day, musician Oliver (Turner) and lawyer Bernadette (Coleman) have differing views. They’re still in the early days of their relationship, and while Oliver is angry and vehemently against the proposed bill, Bernadette is more pragmatic, and doesn’t think the ‘Hush Bill’ will pass.
When it does it will have a profound impact on their relationship.
“You’re going to speak more than 123 million words in your lifetime. What will you do when they run out?”
Something a little different as I haven’t seen much live theatre, but I made the effort because I’m a fan of Ms Coleman and I’m glad I did because I enjoyed this a lot. There’s no expansive set design, no wild costumes or huge cast, just two actors on stage talking for around 85 minutes and it worked really well.
Sure you have to accept the preposterous notion of a law limiting each person to 140 words a day (how could this remotely be enforced?) but once you accept the premise what you’re left with is an interesting two hander that tackles love and communication, and questions whether love can survive when our ability to communicate is curtailed.
I was lucky enough to have a front row seat and have to say both Coleman and Turner were fantastic. The story is nonlinear, bouncing back and forth between pre and post the Hush Law, which gives us the opportunity to see how Oliver and Bernadette’s relationship began, and thrived before their word count was cut short. It’s testament to both the script and the performances that I think there was only one moment where I was confused over which time period we were in.
Bernadette and Oliver are polar opposites. She’s the working class girl made good, he’s the son of wealthy parents (mention is made of growing up in a castle) who’s gravitated towards a life in the arts. He’s all anger and passion, she’s all calm logic yet each of them transcends stereotypes.
The story itself was written before Brexit, yet it feels like it’s a story about Brexit—the scene where they watch the result of the vote on television felt awfully familiar. It could equally be about freedom of speech however, but at its heart this is a romance not a political diatribe however, and it’s sweet and funny and heart-breaking, and if anything, the thing it most reminded me of was Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, another tale that used a fantastical premise to explore the realities of romance.
Turner is much funnier than I’d taken him for having only seen him in very serious roles, but for me its Coleman who shoulders much of the heartbreak and I was close enough to see her tears.
Highly recommended if you get the chance to see it, and it definitely shows the benefits of steeping outside one’s comfort zone every once in a while.
werewolves on the moon 