Review: Shotgunned, Riverside Studios

Enemies of the deconstructed cheesecake look away now: Shotgunned stretches the bounds of generic rom-com, swerving cliché for an unpredictable thread of non-consecutive snapshots that build humour, heartbreak and intrigue. Writer Matt Anderson shoots a bullet to the gut with a topsy-turvy tale of two intertwined lovers as the shrapnel of their love is laid bare. 

In the wrong hands, a reconstructed storyline such as this could easily confuse its audience as we jump directly from the couple’s pregnancy result to their first date in the beat of a blackout. And yet, there is no confusion to be found here. 

This two-hander follows the ebbs and flows of aspiring video game actor Dylan (Fraser Allan Hogg) and his ex/soon-to-be girlfriend Roz (Lorna Panton), who we later find out meet at a dire house party of awkward breakups and hook-ups. It is Roz and Dylan’s breakup where Shotgunned begins, as we are lulled into a false sense of doom that their once-flourishing relationship is now unsalvageable. 

The doom, however, does not linger as we are sent hurtling back to a moment of post-coital passion where the lovable Dylan asks his new flame did she “have a nice time?” Hogg colours Dylan with warmth and sensitivity, elevating him from a dejected gamer to a bright-eyed performer searching for his purpose. Panton offers the perfect contrast with her acerbic Glaswegian wit and drive for change. The old adage of ‘opposites attract’ certainly rings true for this pair, and their chemistry is palpable both in times of love and war. 

As the warring is constantly interspersed with moments of joy, such as the anticipation of baby Olivia (almost baby Croydon), Shotgunned never plateaus, thereby avoiding the often one-note angst of a typical ‘kitchen sink’ drama where emotions simmer and crescendo to boiling point. Anderson calls upon his actors to turn their emotions on and off like a tap with only a moment’s blackout to gather themselves for the next highly charged scene. It is a credit to the actors’ commitment and slick production values that this is achieved without ever jarring the audience, as our investment in them is needed to witness the couple’s all too relatable unravelling.  

In a unique moment for the play, punchy duologues are paused in lieu of a gut-wrenching monologue from Roz, where she addresses the loss that brings her planned family life with Dylan to a tragically abrupt end. As Roz retreats into herself and Dylan into his gaming, the initial doom felt in the play’s opening scene returns once again and is given the time and weight it deserves before the final and most hopeful gearshift takes place. The metaphorical gearstick with which Anderson directs Shotgunned sees Roz and Dylan reverse, skirt and speed through emotions with enough twists and turns to rival Silverstone. It is a ride worth taking and a production with plenty of further mileage.  

Written and Directed by Matt Anderson 
Produced by Julia Salkin
Associate Producer Joseph Cobb
In association with Kangaroo Court Productions

Shotgunned plays at Riverside Studios until Sunday September 28.