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A funny but dramatic coming of age story that explores a group of young adults finding themselves at university. Summary
Rating
Good
‘Why are you drinking Pimms in January?’
‘It’s what my friends drink!’
Having graduated from university some 12 years ago, this show is a delightful reminder to me of how young adults interact when let loose for the first time and this line, which elicited a knowing reaction from the audience, sums up that first experience of adulthood perfectly. Pimms and Piety is a thoroughly enjoyable insight into the lives of young adults trying to find their way in the world, tonight presented as a rehearsed reading.
The plot centres around two lifelong friends, Nicole (Lauren Koster) and Georgia (Georgia McKnight), who are living together at a university in Birmingham. They are gathered together with fellow students at pre-drinks. The friends are all Jewish but it is Nicole who is the strictest. It is revealed early in the play that she observes the practice of ‘Shomer Negiah’ – having no physical contact with anyone of the opposite gender – and this is a theme throughout. Nicole initially comes across as vulnerable and shy, and she eagerly looks to the confident Georgia to guide her. At the top of the play, it seems that Georgia is the perfect friend for her, considerate and protective, but after the arrival of Charlie (Samuel Goldsmith) (referred to as the ‘NJ’ throughout by the other friends in the group in reference to his ‘non-Jew’ status), this facade slowly starts to unravel.
The motivations of Georgia to control her best friend are unclear, although her methods are more obvious, and pretty diabolical. I was hoping for some kind of breakthrough that would reveal her true thoughts, but this didn’t appear. Controlling, gaslighting and narcissistic, McKnight does brilliantly in portraying this complex character. The rest of the cast portray a cross section of the kinds of clashing personalities you find in a university friendship group, connected by meeting at the start of their studies (in this case, by standing next to each other at a JSoc icebreaker). The contrasting characters of Charlie and Matty (Ted Walliker) play into their stereotypes well and there are some excellent jokes, well-received by the audience, about their different career paths (especially the comment about studying Law and wearing a quarter zip!).
Although there are some moments in the script where the dialogue feels a little stilted and repetitive, the play flows from scene to scene well, delivering a good balance between humour and drama, and it is a decent length. It is easy to forget that this is a rehearsed reading as many of the cast do not need, or use, their scripts. A big round of applause for Ruby Hewitt, playing the dopey but loveable Tess, who has the audience in the palm of her hand with her outstanding comic timing; her monologue about Timothée Chalamet reminded me very much of the character Alice from The Vicar of Dibley – vacant, but blissfully so.
The show is about self-discovery, as Nicole battles with her religious beliefs, Georgia battles to control everyone around her and Tess, adorably, battles to stay on track with the conversation. By the end of the play we feel that Nicole has a much stronger sense of self. As for the rest of the party? Their standing points are a mixed bag which could be further explored if the play were longer. Overall, I enjoyed Pimms and Piety and would gladly see it again if, as the writer stated as the intention at the start of the reading, it gets a longer run in the future.
Written by: Samuel Goldfinch (Goldfinch Theatre Ltd)
Directed and produced by: Holly Stevens
Pims and Piety has finished its run at the Union Theatre as part of the A Pinch of VAULT Festival. More information can be found here.
