Eye/Balls

This event has now finished Until Tue Sep 8 Soho Theatre, 21 Dean St, London, W1D 3NE Full details & map

Theatre: Off-West End

© Eric Richmond

Time Out says 

Posted: Wed Aug 26 2009

Third up in National Youth Theatre's Soho summer season is a double bill from writer/actress Sarah Solemani. 'Eye' centres on Diana, a would-be art student who manages to get a place on a prestigious art course in spite of her dodgy past and newborn baby. But when she finds she cannot afford the fees does she take out a student loan? Does she heck. In the first of a series of illogical narrative developments, Diana moves in with one of the course tutors - a beard-stroking proto-feminist who just so happens to be a pimp. It all rather confusing and silly, and barely held together by director Gbolahan Obisesan.

Thankfully, 'Balls' is a much more entertaining offering, featuring a group of stags and a suspicious bride who collide with Diana, now working as a stripper. Pitted with pithy one-liners ('Marriage isn't about trust,' deadpans the excellent Lauren O'Rourke as neurotic bridezilla-to-be Tess. 'It's about supervision'). Solemani's strengths clearly lie in comedy. Some of the plays' more serious issues such as sexual abuse and workplace bullying are clumsily handled, but a fine cast and slick direction from Obisesan keeps the laughter rolling longer than the logic.

Soho Theatre details

Soho Theatre, 21 Dean St, London, W1D 3NE

Transport Tottenham Court Road 

Telephone

020 7478 0100

Soho Theatre website

Soho Theatre map

Add your comment