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He had it coming: Burnt Up Love @finborough

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Out of the darkness and shadows, three characters emerge. Lit only with candlelight or flashlights, a gripping tale by writer and performer Ché Walker about crime, punishment, love, and loss emerges. The fast pace conveys a sense of urgency to make up for lost time, lost opportunities, and what might have been. It’s currently playing at the Finborough Theatre .  We first meet Mac (Ché Walker) in prison, serving time for a crime he committed. With only a photo of his young daughter, Scratch, to keep him company, he looks for her upon release. But Scratch (Joanne Marie Mason) isn’t the teacher, lawyer or dancer Mac imagined while incarcerated over the years she might be. Instead, Scratch is in and out of trouble, on the edge, angry and violent. A chance encounter one night with JayJayJay (Alice Walker) forms a loving bond and gives her a moment of stability. But Scratch’s demons and restlessness mean trouble does not seem far away. Scratch's random act of thoughtless violence against

A little less conversation: After Sex @Arcolatheatre


According to research, millennials in rich countries are having sex less these days. But they were prepared to talk more about it. So, it is no surprise to see a story about what happens when a series of no-strings-attached encounters start to become attachments. And the conversations arising from it. Such is the premise of After Sex, Siofra Dromgoole’s two-hander of the conversations afterwards. It’s not particularly sexy or erotic, and the snappy pacing and short scenes sometimes make you wish they stayed longer to finish the conversation. Nevertheless, it is still a funny and, at times, bittersweet picture of single lives in the big city. It’s currently playing at the Arcola Theatre


He is bi and works for her in an office job. She is neither ready for a commitment nor to let the office know what’s happening. He isn’t prepared to tell his mum there’s someone special in his life. He doesn’t speak to his dad, so his mum is his world. It’s a perfect relationship/arrangement. Or so it seems. But through these casual encounters, desires, fantasies, and the urge to connect with someone becomes strong. 

The two leads aid much of the tension and the drama. They move about the stage with their lingering looks at each other that seem both intense and provocative. His booming voice makes it difficult not to listen to Azan Ahmed. He has no name in this piece, but nobody will likely forget him. Similar for Antonia Salib. As her, she may admit she let several guinea pigs die, but you feel an affection for this serial guinea pig killer in ways that you probably should not. 


Running for just over an hour, it’s a brief encounter of post-coital discussions. Maybe there’s a future version where things can linger longer, allowing us to understand the characters more. But in the meantime, there’s laughter tinged with a hint of sadness and loneliness in this production. There isn’t much physical intimacy here, but the imagination sometimes runs wild. 

Directed by Izzy Pariss, After Sex by Siofra Dromgoole is at the Arcola Theatre until 3 August. Look out for the pre-and post-show discussions on 25 July. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Photos by Jake Bush


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