The Coffee Hour (24:7 Festival)
A small audience and an extremely slow start immediately gives the impression that The Coffee Hour, presented by new-production company, The Third Place, is not going to be the main attraction of this year’s 24:7 festival in Manchester.
Not entirely a comedy or a tragedy, the piece has all the makings of a Shakespeare problem play. However, unlike classics such as Measure for Measure or All’s Well That Ends Well, the ‘problem’ is the cliché storyline and stilted conveyance of emotion.
A man (Adam) and woman (Laura) are in a cafe bar. Man accidentally bumps into distressed woman. The two eventually begin to talk. Romance blossoms (albeit with little connection between the actors) and a far-fetched crisis emerges. Although every chick flick has its predictabilities, this performance manages to take it to a whole new level.
The venue does not help, sounds from the play next door often being distracting and cringe worthy.
Actress Sarah Wylie provides the most entertainment, her portrayal of a grief-stricken woman being creditable when she acts independently. Unfortunately, in her scenes with fellow actor and writer Mike Peacock, she loses her strength, the pair being frigid and awkward when together.
For what is meant to be a romance, the one-hour production disappointingly fails to seduce.
– Rebecca Cohen
