REVIEW: YOU’RE MAKING THIS DIFFICULT at the Canal Café Theatre 9-11 February 2023

‘An enjoyable piece of theatre but one that lacks cohesion or precision’

 

The stage is dark and bare apart from Phylly (Phyllida Hickish), a pair of shoes and two bottles of water. In her opening bit, Phylly imagines the shoes to life and Charlie (Charlie Froy) having entered dressed in black mourning clothes kicks and ‘kills’ them. Here begins a slightly confusing, quite random and oddly enjoyable montage of improvisation, physical comedy and scripted wit that circuitously considers the nature of memory and of loss. It is an enjoyable piece of theatre but one that lacks cohesion or precision, where no section seems to have too much to do with the last or the next.

The space is intimate: sitting in a well-lit auditorium at tables as in an old-fashioned nightclub, the audience is included in the performance space and are engaged in the production by a smattering of participation. The affectionate chemistry between Phyllida and Charlie is endearing and enjoyable to watch, and the honesty of many of the jokes is refreshing and adds to the intimacy of the piece.

The characters also lean on self-referential gags that expose the form of clowning that are funny and insightful. Explaining the humour of the running gag or the repeated bit and making such insights themselves, the running gag is witty, well-executed and amusing.

However, despite its comic elements the piece felt unfinished. Much of the humour relies on Charlie’s frustration with Phylly’s insistent comedy, which creates a dynamic in which Phylly would offer, and Charlie would reject. Yet, what Charlie is frustrated about remains largely unclear: it seems he wants a seriousness from Phylly or at least a recognition of the gravity of their circumstance (though what exactly this is remains also unclear); meanwhile his own comic action, including gulping down two worrying large bottles of water, also undermine any reference of circumstance he seems to be asking of Phylly. Without a solid structure that offers a clarity around why Charlie is so frustrated with Phyllida, his reactions that shut down potential comic avenues seem to supress the production rather than create a humorous tension.

It seems that much of the script is left excitingly open for improvisation which was unfortunately, the orchestrator of its own demise. Often the self-referential elements of the piece would extend as far as the pair discussing where to take their next bit rather than leading an audience or each other. Without a clear narrative or story-beats to fall back on, such sections felt often too loose and unfinished rather than exciting and unexpected.

You’re Making This Difficult at the Canal Café Theatre

9-11^th February

Devised by Phyllida Hickish and Charlie Froy

Directed by Charlie Froy

Reviewed by Basil Lockwood

Basil is an English Literature graduate of Trinity College Dublin, where he spent much of his spare time reviewing theatre. He has written and directed for theatre and screen, and now works freelance as a script reader for film and TV.