“You’d better show up.
‘Don’t worry I will, you’ve
got my wine’”
Marking its first production in London in over 35 years, the
Finborough has revived Martin Sherman’s 1972 play Passing By for a very limited
run. Steven Webb’s Toby is a neurotic New Yorker, a complete klutz who’s making
ends meet working in a wine shop as his artistic career stagnates. A chance
encounter with former Olympic diver Simon, a lithe Alex Felton, in a cinema
leads to a one-night stand but the fast-moving world of the big city, a rare
spark of connection means their relationship develops into the potential for
something more as something unique is shared. Exactly what is shared though is a
little unexpected, with consequences that keep the pair together for some
considerable time, and so what unfolds is a delicately gentle encounter between
two souls each looking for something more.
On first appearance they are a
totally mis-matched couple: Toby’s highly strung Woody Allen-esque persona rubs
up, in more than one way, against the physical über-confidence of his far-hotter
lover, but as they each begin to let their guard down, we see that even Simon
has his own issues too. And over the course of the single act, Sherman has his
characters dance ever closer to the possibilities of real connection through the
comic haze of their enforced circumstances.
The fact of their homosexuality
is simply a given here, it’s not an issue – though mentions of the realities of
being out do hit home hard – and for this reason, the play is hugely noteworthy
one in being the first representation of everyday gayness. But without that
context, this production of Passing By doesn’t always quite maintain such
resonance. The slow-build of the relationship is a little too slow in the end,
the explosion of feeling in the final scenes has immense power but comes from
too far left-field, it is too much of a surprise to feel dramatically
honest.
Both actors excel in playing this later emotional heft and also in
the opening scenes of early-morning playfulness. Webb’s natural ebullience fits
the role well and Felton convinces of the deeply-held frustrations of Simon, but
Andrew Keates’ production sometimes overplays the zany comedy that forms the
middle of the play with ‘drunk-acting’ and ‘ill-acting’ proving occasionally
difficult moments as the writing lacks a little of the driving edge to draw us
deeper into the emotional wells.
The significance of Sherman’s play should
not be under-estimated at all as a crucial landmark in the theatrical depiction
of gay people, though this production comes close, but not quite, to
demonstrating that the play itself carries that
weight.
Running
time: 70 minutes (without interval)
Programme cost: £2
Booking until
25th September
Labels: Alex Felton, Finborough, Martin Sherman, Steven Webb