I See Simon

This is an ambitious new play by Alexander Thomas and Peregrine Fellowes. It’s an examination of love – what happens when you love someone who doesn’t love you and when you trade your true feelings against security.

I’m not sure I would agree with the publicity that describes Simon as a ‘mysterious fellow’. This business about why some men are more attractive to women than others isn’t as mysterious as all that. And I’m also not sure the character quite lives up to his billing in this case.

Also the writers fall into the novice’s trap of asking their characters to deliver monologues setting out their state of mind, instead of writing scenes in which they are revealed through action and dialogue.

Nevertheless, this is an ambitious and intelligent piece of writing and has been given a simple but sympathetic and imaginative production and persuasive performances. There’s promise here and it would be interesting to see how these writers develop.

– Craig Singer