Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviewer: Megan Hyland
After twenty-two sell-out sessions, the much beloved and anticipated JB Shorts has returned to 53Two with yet another outstanding selection of short plays. For those that haven’t had the honour of attending previous performances, JB Shorts began in 2009, created by writers Trevor Suthers and John Chambers, as a festival of short plays written by established TV writers. In 2009, it found success at Joshua Brooks, and since then, continues to find success each year beneath the arches at 53Two.
The perfect selection of emotional and hilarious performances packed with unexpected and striking twists.
This year, JB Shorts opens with Chippy Tea by writer Ella Greenhill, starring Marie Critchley and David Carpenter as two strangers, Cam and Jimmy, that meet outside the chippy. Over a series of evenings, Cam finds that twelve-year-old Jimmy reminds her of something – or rather someone – that she forgot about long ago.
Critchley and Carpenter have a wonderful, charming chemistry that allows the heart and sincerity of Greenhill’s writing to shine, and both give earnest and authentic performances. However, that is not to say that there aren’t laughs to be found here, too, with the two bouncing off each other effortlessly, executing Greenhill’s quips with perfect precision. The piece does momentarily lose this momentum in its transitions, in which we see the chaos and confusion that Jimmy is experiencing, perfectly depicted by Carpenter but feels somewhat misplaced. However, this does nothing to take away from the rawness of the piece and perhaps comes down to personal preference.
Following Chippy Tea is Diane Whitley’s Death by Misadventure, starring Susan McArdle and Haydn Holden as siblings Pamela and Eddie. McArdle and Holden give the performances of the night in this intense, poignant, and impactful piece about two estranged siblings reeling in the aftermath of their mother’s death.
Death by Misadventure is a poignant, and impactful piece about two estranged siblings reeling in the aftermath of their mother’s death.
McArdle is outstanding in her portrayal of Pamela, a vulnerable adult struggling to come to terms with her mother’s death and the weight of a terrible secret. Her performance is so emotionally raw that at times it feels too uncomfortable and intimate to watch as she depicts the ebbs and flows of Pamela’s emotions. As Eddie, Holden perfectly contrasts and compliments McArdle’s performance, portraying an altogether different kind of grief. The way in which Holden breaks down the character of Eddie incrementally throughout is masterful, and overall, this is a piece that will not quickly be forgotten.
Before the break, it’s Peter Bowker’s hilarious The Before & The After, a welcome yet unpredictable revival of our spirits in the form of a man, his police escort, and his nurse just trying to make it through a cancer surgery check-up without any incident. Bowker’s writing is clever, witty, and fresh, with his own unique blend of comedy and sincerity that immediately captures you.
Bowker’s writing is clever, witty, and fresh…
Rosina Carbone stars as nurse Julie, alongside William Fox as patient Paul, and Liam Grunshaw as police escort Andy. The three have an excellent and effortless rapport that allows them to make this absurd situation both seem believable and somewhat familiar, bringing Bowker’s characters to life and providing them with the personality and heart that Bowker intended. It is a shame that at times, Bowker’s writing was almost too clever, with us as the audience needing time to catch up with his quick quips. This unfortunately led to later jokes being lost in the noise of the delayed laughter as people caught on to Bowker’s jokes.
After the break, we were transported from the Heaton Norris of The Before & The After to 1950s Hollywood in James Quinn and Peter Kerry’s Unamerican. Starring James Quinn and Charlotte Linighan as Jim and Nancy, two writers trying to discuss their next pitch, and Will Huntington as Alex the waiter who will do just about anything to interrupt, Unamerican feels reminiscent of a smooth noir classic.
While at times the plot feels difficult to follow with the fast-paced rapport of the cast and Quinn and Linighan’s easy American accents, this does nothing to take away from the fact that it is an overall enjoyable watch that goes down as smoothly as the drinks Jim is downing. The velvety, cool atmosphere that Quinn, Linighan, and Huntington have created is equally serene and suspenseful, gradually building the tension until the final moment where the twist is revealed.
What’s Your Poison could easily be developed into a full-length production…
We are then transported even further back in time to the 1900s with Lindsay Williams’ What’s Your Poison, based on the true story of thousands of people in England being poisoned with arsenic-tainted beer. Disgruntled pub owner, Maudie, is desperate to tempt her customers into giving her ale another go in the aftermath of the epidemic, but grieving widow Clara has other ideas. However, when stock inspector Nathaniel arrives, she turns her frustration elsewhere.
Featuring some fantastic musical performances from the cast, accompanied by Kieran Cunningham on the guitar, What’s Your Poison is eerie, atmospheric, and bitterly funny. Perfectly suited for the exposed bricks of the 53Two arches, you would be amiss to think you weren’t really side-by-side with Maudie in her beer cellar. With a wonderfully dark twist that leaves you wanting more, What’s Your Poison could easily be developed into a full-length production – something that audiences would quickly welcome.
Closing this round of JB Shorts is Jayshree Patel’s Conscious Uncoupling, rightly positioned in the line-up as it leaves you with much to think about and much to say. Focusing on happy, amorous couple Ben and Frankie – played by Dan Sheader and Gabriella Tavini – and their decidedly unhappy counterparts Mollie and Ash – played by Keeley Fitzgerald and David Tag – Conscious Uncoupling is not one to be missed.
Conscious Uncoupling…for me, the standout piece of writing from the night…
Patel’s writing is fantastically clever in its humour, yet strikingly subtle and simplistic in the way in which it reveals such heart-wrenching realisations and twists. The juxtaposition of the two couples is both hilarious and heartbreaking, and the way in which Patel intertwines their lives is genius. This for me, was the standout piece of writing from the night, due to the way that Patel balanced comedy and drama so delicately.
As always, JB Shorts is always a hugely entertaining night out. With the perfect selection of emotional and hilarious performances, packed with unexpected and striking twists, it leaves a lasting impression that only leaves you wanting more. Until the next round!
-Megan Hyland
JB Shorts runs at 53two until 14 October 2023.