EDINBURGH 2023: Review: NO LOVE SONGS, Traverse Theatre

No Love Songs is a new piece of gig theatre written Laura Wilde and Johnny McKnight. Directed by Andrew Panton and Tashi Gore, this piece of theatre was devised by Kyle Falconer and Laura Wilde about their real-life relationship and their challenges of new parenthood and post-natal depression.

The play starts with Lana and Jessie meeting at a club and going home together. They quickly fall in love and their relationship is soundtracked by songs that have been reworked from Falconer's second album. The three performers onstage are Dawn Sievewright as Lana, John McLarnon as Jessie and MD Gavin Whitworth is onstage playing keyboard with the occasional bit of acting.

No Love Songs is well-intentioned and is clearly a story that is very important to its writers who lived this experience. Shortly after Lana gives birth to their son, Jessie has the opportunity to tour America with another band and leaves her alone with the baby and no family support nearby. Sievewright carries this entire production as she adds warmth and humour to a somewhat patchy script and gives a brilliant musical performance. McLarnon is so earnest in his singing that is it almost hard to watch. 

There is something good here, Sievewright's portrayal of her distress after becoming a new mum and the pressure to keep up appearances is beautiful. Unfortunately, the piece is let down by a weak script and the songs don't quite make the emotional connection that they should.

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