Threesome Review

Union Theatre 3 – 14 May.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Sam (Chris Willoughby) and Kate (Gemma Rook) are stuck in a rut, so meet Lucy (April Pearson) for a threesome, hoping that this will give their relationship a boost.

Laboratory Theatre Company’s production of Jamie Patterson’s play begins with a film clip (Sam and Kate scouting for girls in a club, Lucy taking them back to her place) and title sequence which initially puzzled me, but when the actors finally came on stage, and began to question their choices, the contrast between the abstract idea on film and the reality of the situation in the flesh was laid bare.

Lucy’s views on sex shock Kate, who doesn’t really seem to enjoy talking about sex, let alone doing it. Lucy has a different effect on Sam, with him trying cocaine and eventually performing the most inept striptease ever seen. The comedy mostly comes from Sam and Kate’s reactions to Lucy and her suggestions, and Sam’s attempts to smooth things over, and there are plenty of laugh out loud moments. Even though there is plenty of strong language, the play has a strangely wholesome feel, finally celebrating the settled, unexciting life that Sam and Kate have together.

Willoughby plays Sam as an innocent man-child, filling silences with misjudged comments, and making the audience giggle with his facial expressions and gestures – think David Brent’s younger, sweeter brother. Kate is the trickiest character, stiff and sharp at first, but Rook portrays her relaxing into the situation with subtly growing warmth and heart. Pearson basically gets to talk filth all night – with relish. Lucy’s views on life are superficially hedonistic – it would have been nice to see a glimpse of what lay underneath, but with a running time of 60 minutes, Patterson has kept the character somewhat 2 dimensional.

Threesome doesn’t really have much to say about life – but if you are looking for a damn fine comedy full of filth, cuteness and a little dancing, this is well worth a look.