Once upon a time, there was a beautiful and successful couple, Adam and Eve, and their life was like one of those fairytales that ended with and they lived happily ever after
The night is humid and the air still. In the distance there is a storm that is getting closer. The happy mood changes and the light banter turns sour. Emotions soar and the fairytale turn into a nightmare.
4 Ever is a new and passionate play by George Iliopoulos, (who won first prize for 4 Ever in Greece's Competition for New Writers) which illustrates the dark and controlling side of love. In a very human and tragic way, the audience see themselves in the performers, and hide their faces. This is a stylised performance piece that is complemented extremely well by contemporary language. Metaphors are at a high in the detail of the set (Designer Malin Lindholm) where the outside and inside become ambiguous. The white window blinds of their hotel room transform into a suggestive cage leaving the audience very sceptical about the romanticism of love and thinking of marriage being similar to a life sentence.
The performers are on stage as the audience enters the space, lounging around their hotel room, playing in the sand and drinking and leading the audience into a false sense of security by their apparent appearance of happiness. We follow the journey (emotionally as well as chronologically, with the use of projection that the performers operate from stage) of Adam, the frustrated Architect, played with conviction by George Pirpasopoulos, and Eve, played by a versatile and powerful Kristina Erdely. There are associations and connotations with the classic Bible story but this version is closer to home.
4 Ever is produced by The Theatre Lab, a London based international company with a reputation for mesmerizing theatrical imagery, physical theatre, and devised experimental work. Words, music, images and movement are brought together to create dynamic theatre that crosses the boundaries of culture, language, taboo and medium. Directed by the Theatre Labs Artistic Director, Anastasia Revi, whose unapologetic style, and constant pushing aesthetically as well as physically of the performers she works with, makes 4 Ever a very strong visual production. All of which was enhanced with the poetic lighting, (Lighting Designer, Takis) and original music, (Composer, Jonathan Bratoeff). 4 Ever is an excellent example of theatre working its magic as a collective of practitioners. In fact the only constructive criticism I have is that it is too well made, even the ending is wrapped up nicely.
The show runs until the 5th March