As Real As Anything At Hen And Chickens Theatre, Islington Review

To Begin- the venue. Hen and Chickens Theatre in Islington is a theatre bar with a bright atmosphere in a wonderful location, it is right across from Highbury and Islington station, making it easy to get to. I don’t believe there is any step free access however to the stage, and it’s a lot of stairs to get to the theatre area. The drinks were priced pretty normal for bars in London, I paid £3.20 for a glass bottle of Diet Coke- but they do have cold water for those on a budget!

When choosing our seats, it’s clear the very front row, and very back row are the best seats in the house. I would avoid the second and third row as they are not raked yet or laid out so the seat is in the gap of the two seats in front- difficult to see. But I got a few from the very back row, it was clear and the leg room was fine!

As Real as Anything is advertised as a serious comedy, and at first I wasn’t sure what that meant. But after seeing the play, I think you’ll understand- it marries rather absurd/comedy ideas with emotional vulnerability and sincerity. Although I believe that the comedy could certainly be pushed out more! It appears in a few lines and the general storyline is rather funny but to call it a ‘serious comedy’ they need more moments of laughter.

The concept was brilliant- a thrilling yet almost fictional love affair, begging the question- Can you fall in love with a character… and can you fall out of love just as easily? As someone fascinated by the frequency of stage romances, I would love to see this concept explored further as there is so much to unpack- I felt that the execution let the writing down at times, with it feeling incredibly “acted”- this may have been a choice, to heighten the comedy of the play, but it felt like a solid decision wasn’t made on the acting styles, with some leaning into realism more than others. I also think, in terms of direction, the scenes of intimacy between Rosie and Duncan were good but the Gwen and Jake love scene felt a little awkward, this again- could be a choice and there love isn’t a heat of the moment passionate thing, but the energy felt a little flat for all the intimacy scene, I didn’t get a sense of rising tension- but the blocking and general direction/coordination of them was perfectly fine. Although I thought each member of the company were talented and I’m sure brought something fantastic to the table, this is an all white production, which let’s the play down as there is absolutely no reason that of the 10 people credited in the program, none of them come from a different racial background. I mention this not only because this is a production based in the wonderfully multicultural North London but also because I think it would be very interesting to see Jake played by someone that comes from a different background to all the other characters in the play- as he is often mentioned as someone who doesn’t know the same stuff as they do, and isn’t quite as welcome, even though he has just as much a right to be there as they do, who entered the industry through very different means to the others- it isn’t crucial but I think it could certainly add a new layer to the story.

The set design was simple and sleek which complement Gwen and Duncan’s background- it definitely felt like the home of a ever so slightly pretentious artist couple. The futon, carafe and artwork (by Sarah Jane Docker) all lent themselves to this well thought out design.

The costumes were also a vital part of this production, with only 4 actors on stage, it’s awesome to see how they all had such distinct senses of styles to highlight their personalities. Gwens expensive yet relaxed tastes clashing with Rosie’s “chav princess” style and Jakes “working man” get up paired with Duncan’s smart shirts and fashion scarfs. I cannot find who designed the costume for this production, but props to them!

Overall I think this play has brilliant potential and this run will certainly allow for the play to blossom- with a few tweaks here and there, namely the diversity and the cohesive acting styles- I think this could go a long way! Well done and Thank you to Andrew Cartmel for sharing this beautiful dilemma with us and for all the cast and crew who helped pull it all together.

Rating: 3.5/5

Tickets cost £15.75
As Real as Anything is at Hen and Chickens Theatre, Islington from 5-9th July for more info or to book tickets visit https://www.unrestrictedview.co.uk/as-real-as-anything/ or call the box office on 020 7704 2001

Hen and Chickens Theatre, 109 St Paul’s Road
London N1 2NA.