Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds – on tour until 2 November 2019
Reviewed By Dawn Smallwood
3***
Box of Tricks brings Under Three Moons, a new play written by Daniel Kanaber, to the Carriageworks Theatre. It received its world premiere in Salford at the end of September and is currently on an Autumn Tour playing at eleven venues including this one. Under Three Moons is about two friends, Mike (Kyle Rowe) and Paul (Darren Kuppan) and they kill time and share their experiences across thirty years over three nights. The play begins, in their teens, a night from a school trip in France; another one, in their twenties, at a surf shack in Pembrokeshire; and, in their thirties, at Christmas time when Paul stays overnight at Mike’s place.
The main themes are friendship and growing together from when they were boys to men. This play explores how their friendship shapes them today from the good times and the not so good ones. Notably mental health is explored particularly with Paul and the challenges he faces. It is more so sharing and talking about the experiences of mental health which with this stigma is sadly still experienced particularly among men. The play is beautifully written and encourages one to think of the wide range life experiences both men went through past and present.
Under the direction of Adam Quayle, Under Three Moons, is well delivered with a simplistic but effective staging from Katie Scott. Louise Anderson’s creative and innovative lighting suits the mood of the play particularly with its night time settings and the captured moods from the story.
Both Rowe and Kuppan give excellent portrayals of Mike and Paul respectively and contribute to a short, approximately 70 minutes, but enjoyable play. Under Three Moons is touring until the beginning of November.