REVIEW: THE BEACH HOUSE by Jo Harper at Park Theatre Finsbury 15 February – 11 March 2023

 ‘A heart-wrenching love triangle and crushing betrayal’ ★★★★

Three women and a baby. And a beach house. The women? Kate (Kathryn Bond), her girlfriend Liv (Gemma Lawrence) and Kate’s sister Jenny (Gemma Barnett). Kate is pregnant. And Liv and Jenny start developing feelings for each other. Let’s go to the beach house, shall we?

A modern take on the family drama trope usually found in Osborne’s or Pinter’s work, The Beach House feels fresh and interesting, while, at the same time, keeping all the elements that made the genre so appealing in the first place. A heart-wrenching love triangle and crushing betrayal that, despite having a few familiar cliches here and there, works well due to the enormous chemistry between the three leads. Bond, in particular, delivers a great performance as the pregnant and highly-strung Kate, with an impeccable sense of drama and comedy that is commendable, even though her character may, at times, seem overtly pushy, perhaps to fit the main narrative. Likewise, Lawrence’s portrayal of a girlfriend on the verge of a nervous breakdown who eventually gives in to her desires, feels human and relatable, while Barnett’s Jenny is a breath of fresh air in this beach house, full of life, hopes and dreams. What makes these characters so special is the fact that everyone can relate to them in one way or another and perhaps a little more background to each of them would have really driven the point home even more.

Kate wants to go back to work after having a baby, Liv’s song writing seems to be hold for the moment, as she tries to make her girlfriend happy, while Jenny’s dancing dreams take her everywhere, though she seems to be drawn to the beach house… This is great starting point, and one wishes we could see more of it, particularly Kate and Liv’s backstory as a couple. Likewise, a greater sense of joy and happiness was needed in a few key scenes to balance it all out, though its use in the opening scene is quite good and kicks off the play beautifully, taking us where we need to be. Regardless, from that moment on until that bittersweet ending, it is fascinating to watch Kate and Liv navigate their domestic life with a newborn, baby Lola, as Jenny comes in and out of their lives.

Jo Harper’s script feels original and current, while Bethany Pitts’ direction takes us through this world efficiently, with an inventive touch; the water that is constantly dripping from the rooftop into the bucket is especially brilliant. The sound effects round it all up nicely, and we can just about picture the breezy beach house and its idyllic landscape with the beach in the distance. This seemingly perfect place is the ideal backdrop for this story, as it makes the whole thing even more heart-breaking. And it is so worth it. 

Images: David Monteith-Hodge

THE BEACH HOUSE, Park Theatre, 15 February – 11 March

Box Office: www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/the-beach-house

Reviewer: Carol Saint Martin is a screenwriter, playwright, pop culture blogger and film host at the Cinema Museum. Her TV pilot DEADLINE, REDFERN CITY and her stage plays have reached the finals of several competitions.