Hampstead Theatre, London – until 13th June 2026
Reviewed by Celia Armand Smith
4****
Sarah Ruhl returns to Hampstead Theatre with Stage Kiss, once again collaborating with Blanche McIntyre. Set in 2011, two actors are cast in an absurd pre war melodrama called The Last Kiss about lost loves, and it is almost certainly going to be a huge flop. The director encourages them to do what they think is right without giving them any useful direction, and the supporting cast are enthusiastic in their roles, yet lacking finesse in their performances. Enter the unnamed ‘He’ and ‘She’, who when they were younger shared a heated romance, and now find themselves sharing the stage. She is married with a daughter, He is living in a grimy loft, yet their pasts and presents draw them together. As rehearsals begin, old feelings and unresolved emotions bubble to the surface, blurring the lines between acting and real life.
The show begins with a rehearsal room full of chairs and the house lights still up, exposing the cast and the audience in a bright raw light. Blanche McIntyre’s production is pacey and engaging. In true romantic comedy style, there are lots of laughs to be had while some slower, dramatic moments punctuate the story. There is also a hilariously misplaced dance number during a performance of The Last Kiss. You get the feeling that Sarah Ruhl had great fun creating the plays within Stage Kiss – weaving the plots together effortlessly.
MyAnna Buring and Patrick Kennedy as She and He have perfect chemistry as the lovers and scene partners. Rolf Saxon’s director is completely mad, and James Phoon is fantastic as his eager but inept protege Kevin who is also He’s understudy. Oliver Dimsdale,Toto Bruin, and Jill Winternitz are all excellent in their dual roles as dubious actors in the Last Kiss, and She’s husband and daughter and He’s girlfriend in the “real world”.
The set design by Robert Innes Hopkins is very clever, quickly switching between the set for the play, to He’s apartment, utilising the stage curtain to make quick changes. The front of the stage suddenly becomes the back stage and we are looking through the set as the cast take their final bows.
This is a romantic comedy that is layered and lovely, and just when you think you know what is going to happen, Ruhl will take a tiny unexpected turn. It’s not often that you come away from funny and sharp theatre feeling like you’ve also had a hug but Stage Kiss achieves precisely this.