Review: Blink, Soho Theatre

“Being watched makes doing things more attractive somehow. Just simple things”

2012 saw Phil Porter’s Blink take Edinburgh and then London by storm with its quirky charms – its study of grief and love intersecting on two quietly damaged souls – and so it is hardly surprisingly that 2013 has seen the show travel as far as India, before returning to the intimacy of the Soho Theatre’s upstairs space. Director Joe Murphy has wisely kept original actors Rosie Wyatt and Harry McEntire onboard and the luxury of revisiting the production was one which I enjoyed immensely.

There’s much that connects Jonah and Sophie – each has lost a parent to cancer and both are struggling to adapt to life in London, barely keeping afloat in the great metropolis. So it seems right that they gravitate towards each other in their own inimitable way, finding their own sort of connection, masquerading as love. For though this may seem like an indie version of a rom-com, its heart lies somewhere deeper, more meaningful in uncovering the complexities of being with another. 

Wyatt and McEntire are both excellent, completely unafraid of the closeness of the audience in this attic room, connecting strongly through the compelling charm of their monologues and sharing that emotional intensity through no small measure of eye contact, which pulls the watcher right into their world. It’s a delight of a play and a corker of a production, definitely recommended. NB: My review from last year can be read here 

Running time: 80 minutes (without interval)
Booking until 11th January


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