Plymouth Theatre Review

‘Send Him My love‘
Easy To Follow: 5/5
Family Friendly: 4/5
Must See: 5/5

‘Playing With The Past‘
Easy To Follow: 3/5
Family Friendly: 5/5
Must See: 4/5

Title: ‘Send Him My Love’ and ‘Playing With The Past’

Venue: Barbican Theatre

Date: 25th July 2024

‘Send Him My Love‘, written and performed by Seb Watkins and ‘Playing With The Past’, performed by Harry Morris as Brief Relief, were presented as a double bill from two experimental theatre students (part of Marjon universities festival week) showcasing the talents of graduating students who have been perfecting their acts over the past semester.

Launching into ‘Send Him My Love’ we are greeted with pen and paper at our seats, very quickly setting the emotional tone for the piece. All questions melt away with the opening line “close your eyes for a moment – imagine someone you have loved and lost, their features and the last words spoken.” After writing some hard answers we were prompted to share these memories within our newfound community, this immediate sense of emotional safety opened up and carried this performance leaving us feeling vulnerable and maybe a little more healed than we were when we walked through the door half an hour ago. The simple visuals give the impression of a eulogy for grief with our narrator in funeral appropriate attire hunched over a projector, awash with childhood nostalgia, a noticeably purposeful choice in set design and presentation. With relatable moments for many, we are taken through a tale of internal monologue and mental processing. An incredibly enjoyable experience of poetry and multimedia, tears were shed as our notes and memories were posted away to end the experience, comforted by the knowledge that the process will come to an end when Watkins burns the notes to conclude her collective memento mori.

After a short interval and a moment outside to glance at the sea, this quaint venue welcomes our second venture – Brief Relief with ‘Playing With The Past’
We are again met with encouragement to interact with the artistic space by sitting or lying on cushions on the floor if able to. The large projector beamed blue skies and clouds, pixelated as if viewing my own childhood memories through a hazy lens. Accompanied by lo-fi beats that were arranged live, the cleansing stillness was welcome after our earlier emotional encounter. Being given some time to sit and digest some of my thoughts was something I didn’t know I needed, the beats led me to a meditative state of appreciated reflections, feeling as if I was lying on the school field or at a playground. As a fan of lo-fi I didn’t find it difficult to stay immersed, however I can understand some may have preferred a shorter performance. I look forward to Brief relief using their talent in theatre in the future, scoring a monologue perhaps. A wonderful showcase evoking a lot of emotion, I will be keeping my finger on the pulse of future creative endeavours from this artist.

This interactive double bill left me feeling renewed and engaged. The personal stories Watkins shares with the audience, as if we are peeking into an intimate diary of sorts, with dark humour interjected between luxurious insights into life and death, are morbidly warming. Morris’ music was reflective and illustrative, a suiting accompaniment to the production leaving me wanting more and instilling a sense of hope that I will see more from this artist in the future.

Review by Abigail Court

*Gifted / This theatre review was written following a gifted ticket to the performance. However, all opinions and views expressed in this review are entirely that of the reviewer and the review has not been influenced in any way by the provision of the ticket. Our commitment remains to provide an honest and unbiased assessment of the experience.