Plymouth Theatre Review

Title: Blood Orange

Venue: The House, Main Stage

Date: 28th May 2024

Overall Rating: 3.5

Blood Orange is a bold, genre defying theatrical performance that intertwines humour and grief, delivering a rollercoaster of theatre that is delightfully absurd and thought provoking. This show takes an experimental and symbolic approach to the themes of grief and invites the audience into a world where the fragility and impermanence of human relationships and encounters are laid bare. The performances humorous style is not merely a counterbalance of the sad and heavier themes but an integral part of it’s exploration of grief. Through absurd scenarios and sharp wit, the audience is often caught off guard, laughing one moment and reflecting the next. 

The experimental nature of the show is evident in its unconventional staging and use of abstract symbolism. The scenes are fragmented and non-linear in style, representing the disjointed nature of loss and the different scenarios encountered throughout the piece display the various stages of grief and loss in a captivating exploration. One of the most striking elements of this play is the powerful use of the colour Red, which dominates at the conclusion. The stage (and performers) become a canvas, dripping in red, symbolising both the rawness of grief and the vitality of life itself with the actors embodying the cathartic release of emotions that the piece eloquently portrays. The set design and props used in the show also added to the symbolism, consisting of a basic set with key props, such as a bowl of blood, red coloured drinks and pieces of fruit scattering the stage. The blood was used at the end in a highly symbolic presentation and served as a reminder that grief and loss affect us deeply and remain embedded within us. 

The play excels in its use of both humour and pathos and is innovative, inventive and deeply human in execution. While the humour employed in the show does underscore the transient nature of human connections and ephemeral quality of happiness and sorrow, the performance could be improved upon in the emotional connection to more thought provoking stories. A deeper connection to the sad and harrowing could have elevated the production and despite the actors definitely hitting the spot with the humour, I failed to resonate with the deeper and darker side of grief and it didn’t move me in an evocative way. While well acted, and providing an interesting episodical structure, I didn’t fell a connection to the material as much as I would have liked which is what, for me, ultimately let this production down slightly.

Blood Orange is a bold and humorous exploration of grief that combines pathos in a way that is both symbolic and deeply human. It’s skilled acting, rich symbolism and bold artistic choices make it an absurdly resonate piece of theatre that explores the profound aspects of human experience with humour and audacity. This undoubtedly made an interesting piece to watch and I was impressed by the performers acting skills and the shows overall outlook with regards to the themes.