Billed as “‘is a metaphysical comedy involving body and soul and the unbearable triteness of being”, whatever that means, writer/director Bruce Kitchener’s Coffee Break remains frustratingly obtuse.
Lu and Jo are in what seems like a normal coffee shop. They know each other, and Jo has recently been in a collision with a cyclist. They argue about bicycles, cats, and how long they have been waiting.
As the play unfolds, it is clear it means to be absurd as well as comic, but isn’t clever enough for the former or funny enough for the latter. It’s a script that isn’t quite ‘off’ or out there enough to rise above its shortcomings.
As well as Lu and Jo, there is a mysterious third character called Pat who pops into life in various different persona (game show host, nurse, receptionist, traffic PC). They add an extra layer of confusion to proceedings.
Add to this the reliance on old pip culture references – when did these people watch Larry Grayson on The Generation Game? You have to be well over forty. Did someone really voice a variation on the ‘My dog has no nose’ joke?
It’s a pity, as the premise of an unknown location and a premise which takes us to a conclusion we can’t get has potential on paper. It’s all in the execution and the eventual reveal.
Although I tried to get to the point of the various interludes of sea monsters, doctors, and riddles, I don’t think I was alone in agreeing, ultimately, with Lu’s final line before the lukewarm applause kicked in.
The performances of Emily Beach (Lu, she/her), Ezra Dobson (Jo, they/them), and Kat Kitchener (Pat, they/them) all have something which keeps you watching and Dobson I’d particular has an understated core which is interesting.
However, I think this Coffee Break needs a little more time brewing and percolating before the cup is ready to drink.
**
https://camdenfringe.com/events/coffee-break/ (to 10 Aug)