The Beach House, Park Theatre, stage review: ‘Romantic, sisterly and maternal affections collide’
Kathryn Bond, Gemma Lawrence and Gemma Barnett in The Beach House. Photograph: David Monteith-Hodge
Attraction and commitment are two faces of all enduring relationships. But what happens when they clash?
The Beach House, currently premiering at Park Theatre, is a tender exploration of love between women.
Career woman Kate (Kathryn Bond) and struggling songwriter Liv (Gemma Lawrence) are expecting their first child, and as the story opens they are in the process of moving into a ramshackle house at the seaside.
The women are in love, the area is beautiful, and the price of the house is ‘almost to good to be true’.
Yet gradually the roof develops unstoppable leaks, and so too other aspects of the rural idyll unravel.
‘The three women are each in their own way flawed’. Photograph: David Monteith-Hodge
The challenges of birth and motherhood prove more daunting than expected, and the strain on their relationship is further complicated when Kate’s sister Jenny (Gemma Barnett) becomes more involved in the couple’s lives.
Written by Jo Harper and directed by Bethany Pitts, the drama is an insightful portrayal of the complexities of duty and role expectations.
As romantic, sisterly and maternal affections collide, it is never clear who is to blame; the three women are each in their own way flawed, but they are also all very determined to do best by the others.
Whatever your gender or relationship status, you’re bound to see something of yourself in this deft portrayal of human strength and frailty.
The Beach House runs until 11 March at Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, N4 3JP.