Review: In The Afterglow, The Hope Theatre

Most people have been to a terrible nightclub at some point in their lives. The floor is uncomfortably sticky, the drinks are shockingly expensive, and you pray that you don’t ever have to be there when the lights are on.

Taking place over a single night, In The Afterglow guides the audience through an event at one such venue run by Peter (David Underhill), an ex-staff member turned promoter. The play follows various attendees’ evenings, and ends up feeling like a promising mini-series pilot episode.

Some of the storylines are more engaging than others. The strongest of the set is certainly Peter and Fran (Tia Hyson), a frustrated bartender who feels a bit lost in life. Their relationship feels lived-in and offers a timely comment on loneliness and finding a place in the world. Elsewhere, old friends Blake (Imran Cummings) and Gabe (Michael Seabrook) work through their differences on what should have been a boy’s night. Blake’s obsession with hooking up with someone and his frequent bigoted language cause tension between the pair. At the door, Dug (Kieran Thomas) gets chatting to solo partygoer Siena (Lauren Ededey), new to the area and looking for some fun after a bad breakup. This duo has great chemistry, and what seems like it will be a simple romance ends up being a much more interesting discussion of modern dating culture and what we demand of a partner.

These characters are well constructed, expanded from fairly basic archetypes into people you might genuinely encounter on a night out. Interactions feel organic, and it’s easy to become immersed in their subplots. Flitting between each pair adds to the nightclubby vibe of it all, action moving around the room and using up every corner of the space.

However, the play is slightly overambitious in how much it can cover. DJ Skye (Greta Oliver) and her girlfriend Margot’s (Annabella Lu) story doesn’t really go anywhere, and it’s slightly unclear what’s meant to be taken from it. While there are apparent conflicts and broader themes at play with the other duos – loneliness, toxic masculinity, modern dating – the issue here is hazy. It seems that one of the characters is experiencing some kind of psychosis, but the figure they’re seeing (Sam Gordon-Webb) is credited as ‘Ex’. So not psychosis? Is this, instead, a comment on abusive relationships? It’s hard to say.

Similarly, party girl Diane (Phoebe-Rae Levene) has almost no lines but is front and centre in the dance breaks. At the play’s end, it feels like she’s meant to be representative of… something, perhaps the dangers of partying too hard, but the statement falls flat.

What In The Afterglow really gets right is the atmosphere of the club, especially the smoking area. When characters gather in a corner outside, away from the banging tunes and flashing lights, the stark white lighting creates the perfect atmosphere for the strangely intense conversations that the space provokes.

There are a few too many dance interludes throughout, but they are well-choreographed and well-performed, serving a purpose to further the narrative at most points. Also well-choreographed are scenes where the cast bustles around the centre of the stage, each having their own conversations and creating a hubbub of sound. It’s clear that a lot of work has gone into the staging, and it pays off.

Although In The Afterglow’s ideas are over capacity, when it respects its limits, it’s a compelling human-interest anthology with real heart. Leaves you wanting more – just as a good night out should.

Writer: Jaimee Doyle
Co-Directors: Gloria Akpoke & Jaimee Doyle
Assistant Director: Esther Stephen
Produced by Fruitcake Productions

In The Afterglow plays at the Hope Theatre as part of the Camden Fringe
until Sunday 10 August