Hampstead Theatre Downstairs, London – until 17th May 2025
Reviewed by Celia Armand Smith
4****
The stage is piled high with newspapers, records, toys and games, and lots of cardboard boxes in Chloë Lawrence-Taylor’s new play, Personal Values. Bea and Veda are sisters who haven’t spoken since their father’s funeral (Bea keyed something bad on the side of Veda’s car) and emotions are running high. Bea is being swallowed by the contents of her house, and Veda is being swallowed by health and life concerns. As their relationships with the house and each other are pushed to breaking point, Lucy Morrison’s production examines grief, our connection to objects and memories, and the trauma passed between generations.
On a rainy day, Veda (Holly Atkins) stops by unexpectedly to check on her sister Bea (Rosie Cavaliero) who lives the secret life of a hoarder behind an immaculately painted front door. The sisters manoeuvre through their childhoods and memories, some good, some painful, and the objects that have been left behind. There is something uncanny about Veda, and Naomi Dawson’s crowded set coupled with Holly Ellis’ flickering lighting design indicate that something is not quite right. Max Pappenheim’s soundtrack interrupted by some jazzy keyboard demo music rumbles along in the background.
At 60 minutes long, a lot of ground is covered, and Atkins and Cavaliero keep the plot ticking along at pace as they cover life, death, and the imminent crumbling of the worlds they have created for themselves. Personal Values offers a funny and tragic inside look at a world often hidden away, showing all of the chaos that families bring with them, and how grief affects us all in different ways.