An ensemble piece from Fruitcake Productions, AfterGlow (originally billed as In The AfterGlow) throws ten young people into the hottest and stickiest of spaces (staging it in the upstairs of the Hope Theatre without aircon is a happy master-stroke).
It’s the time of day between midnight and dusk, and the bar is open, tickets are being checked on the door, and a feted DJ is on the decks. In this play, presented as part of the First Slice Initative for emerging theatre makers, everything is poetic, passionate, and on the pulse.
Running just under an hour, AfterGlow is a show of physical movement, quiet conversations, and unseen confessions. It’s quiet confidence and group chemistry makes it hard to look away.
Building to an unsettling conclusion, this play may sometimes overstretch itself, and some audience members will certainly need to stretch their heads to watch scenes taking place behind them.
A bartender (Tia Hyson) who only feels alive in the space she hates. The doorman (Kieran Thomas) who has set aside maths to sell ketsmine to punters. The DJ (Greta Oliver) who parades her girlfriend (Annabella Lu) interchangeably with her insecurities.
Schoolfriends (Imran Cummings and Michael Seabrook) who seek love in very different ways. Lone women (Lauryn Ededey and Phoebe-Rae Levene) who leave their everyday selves at the door. The promoter (David Underhill) who seeks a friend. And the shadow of something more sinister.
With a score of pulsing beats and a programne of lighting to suggest a space where you can be what you want to be, AfterGlow does capture the idea of a Gen Z party, but stops short of fully opening its heart.
With its gender and racial diversity, AfterGlow feels very representative of its target group, and there are some excellent moments throughout the play.
Perhaps focusing more deeply on characters currently on the edges would sharpen its focus and offer a more linear plot, but this is theatre that offers a new glimpse into a world we may remember even if we don’t experience it anymore.
AfterGlow, written and co-directed by Jaimee Doyle (with Gloria Akpoke) continues at the Hope Theatre as part of Camden Fringe until 10 Aug with tickets here.
3 stars.