Review: The Last Supper, The Space

The ambition of Alexandra Andrei and Elliot Windsor’s The Last Supper cannot be denied. It feels absolutely the type of show that The Space was made for. From the very first moment the pair walk onto stage and begin chopping vegetables whilst a voice over of two people playing word association plays, the show is excitingly weird. It may at times verge on being too abstract for its own good, but that is exactly what a place like The Space should embrace. This is a home for new creatives to take big risks, to experiment, to test the waters and work out whether their show has a future.

Between the preparations of that meal, The Last Supper shows a series of seemingly unconnected scenes, each set in a different place and time, often performed in very different styles. Yet through them all are common denominators; the wine shared, the mention of a child, sometimes born, sometimes not. Each scene is divided into two, both halves connected and yet showing very different outcomes. There are hints that this is the same couple, relocated into different times and places, each time trying to get their relationship right, yet always just failing to hit the right notes. 

It’s all excitingly odd, but also just a little frustrating in trying to piece together what the writers are aiming for. The promised payoff never quite arrives, but it feels tantalisingly close. A big issue may be that the show is created, written, directed and performed by Andrei and Windsor. Maybe bringing in a director or dramaturg to cast a more removed eye over proceedings could help deliver more focus to it all, rather than the pair knowing what they mean and expecting the audience to catch up with their train of thought. 

Issues with sightlines and positioning also highlight the need for a director. With a table being very much the focal point, having the pair sitting face to face leaves them talking at each other and not to the audience. It leaves their conversation feeling oddly distant at times. There’s also a matter of stretching moments out excessively. Those scenes of food preparation are repeated over and over, along with the word association voice overlay, but they just go on for too long. It is easy to overdo a gimmick. There’s clearly a purpose to them and the word association at times hints at deeper meaning, but again this never quite materialises to any satisfaction. It feels a case of the pair thinking it will be crystal clear whilst the audience are left floundering a bit too much.

But there are plenty of aspects where the ambition really does work. The lighting, for example, is carefully considered. The brightness as each new scene opens is fantastic. They blink and stare up, as if emerging from a hibernation, with a look of confusion on their faces and a hint of recognition as they return to the beginning, having forgotten what went before. Even better is the lighting switch at the midway point of each scene, going from colourful to shaded to match the tonal change. There’s also plenty to love about the sound design. The vocal overlay for a latter scene with a witch is highly effective, as is a whole lip-synced scene.

Whether confused or not about its ultimate meaning, there’s no doubt that this highly ambitious play offers enough to keep us entertained, even if we’re a little frustrated. This suggests that the team could deliver on their promise, provided they are willing to listen to others who can help hone the script into a more cohesive whole.

Written and directed by: Alexandra Andrei and Elliot Windsor

The Last Supper plays at The Space until Saturday 15 March.