Union Theatre

Rating

Good

A staged reading means we only have the writing to really focus on. But Water Party is certainly well enough written that it’s enough to make for a fascinating evening.

Our reviewing guidelines for Everything Theatre state that we should cover as many aspects of a production as possible; writing, acting, lighting, sound, staging and anything else that makes the show come together in front of us. 

Of course, we all have our own styles, I tend to lean too heavily on the writing and its themes, making Water Party ideal for reviewing, because this is a staged reading; performed scripts in hand, with minimal other aspects. The idea being it allows for new plays to be road-tested in a minimalistic and inexpensive way. And as a truly selfish aside, it means I don’t feel so guilty when I fail to shout out the praises of the lighting tech!

It does also mean that the writing has to be strong enough to stand on its own two feet. Thankfully Mimi Collins’ script is just that, taking us into a dystopian future where birth control is put in the water supply to control a population too large to sustain. Couples must apply to have a baby, and if approved, receive a year’s supply of safe water. It’s then tradition to throw a party to celebrate. 

Celeste and Daniel (Eva-Marie Kung and Jay Faisca) are the happy couple throwing such a party, having finally been approved. Invited are Becky and Ray (Madeleine Herd and Jake Solari), who have previously been approved and are now proud parents, along with Layla and Charlie (Analiese Emerson and Rui Maria Pego), who have just received their third and final rejection, meaning that they will never be able to have their own child. It’s a set-up made for tension, made worse when Celeste lets slip a secret that leads to suggestions that perhaps the selection process isn’t quite as foolproof as all the talk of algorithms may initially suggest. 

Dystopian futures work best when they feel as if they could really happen. Water Party is certainly that. Climate crisis and over population are very hot topics. But it’s perhaps the ongoing Roe Vs Wade debate occurring in America right now and a woman’s right to abortion that lurks menacingly in the background for much of the play. When it finally comes out from hiding, the play reaches its zenith as Layla delivers her speech on how the water’s birth control is man’s way to take back control over woman. It certainly makes for the most interesting talking points, aided by Celeste’s refusal to believe it, dismissing such talk as a fanciful conspiracy theory. 

If, and hopefully she will, Collins decides to develop Water Party into a full production then it’s this concept that could prove the most fruitful to build around further, offering as it does a different way to debate such a divisive subject. The ending though is less successful and should undergo a rethink. Whilst it delivers an unexpected plot twist it still feels a little cheap and a convenient way to bring things to an end.

The fact actors hold scripts in hand and the only real staging is walking from one side of the stage to the other hardly seemed to matter, the powerful and thought-provoking script is more than enough (for now) to make this fascinating. It certainly whetted my appetite to want to see this again as a full production. Oh, and just a final shout out to the unnamed lighting tech, some wonderful switching from one light to another to make us aware we were moving from one room to another! It added that little extra to proceedings. 

Written and directed by: Mimi CollinsProduced by: Bespoke Plays

Water Party played for one performance only at The Union Theatre.

Further information about Bespoke Plays can be found here. More