Review: LOVE AND OTHER ACTS OF VIOLENCE, Donmar Warehouse

There are some shows you get on really well with, and some that you just find a bit hard going. For me personally, on this particular evening and in my particular frame of mind, Love and Other Acts of Violence was the latter.

That's not to say that it's not a good piece of drama, or not worth seeing. Just be prepared for a pretty dark and uneasy evening.

It's a show of two distinct halves, though without an actual interval - a smart choice as a break would allow the tension to dissipate.

The first half is set in seemingly contemporary times, and starts off with a relatively humorous meeting between the unnamed "Him" (Tom Mothersdale) and "Her" (Abigail Weinstock) at a house party. She is a research physicist, he is a poet and activist. Despite their somewhat different outlooks on life, they quickly fall in love.

It's not a cosy relationship, however. Frankly, Her and Him are not a great advert for love (see the play's title). As the short scenes progress, punctuated by lighting blackouts, mini voiceovers and loud soundscapes, they learn to really push each other's buttons. They both become increasingly abusive, attempting to exert control over each other verbally, psychologically and physically.

Part of my struggle with the play is that I found little to empathise with in these two characters, only feeling sympathy towards each when the other was being particularly cruel. But perhaps that's the point (again, see the play's title).

To my ear, some of the rhythms of the quick back-and-forth dialogue felt rather stilted and artificial. This may well be a deliberate directorial or stylistic choice, but it didn't quite click into place.

The second half, after an impressive set change, is a period piece, set in 1918 during a time of unrest amongst Ukrainians, Poles and Jews in the Ukrainian town of Lemberg/Lviv. It could be my own failing rather than any fault of the writing, direction or performances, but I spent too long wondering whether there was any real connection with the previous segment, beyond the presence of a small wooden ram.

It's effectively staged - minimalist at first, building up to a chaotic moment of downfall that almost overloads the senses and ending with a harrowing dramatic climax. The performances also draw you in with their intensity, and credit goes to both Mothersdale and Weinstock (in her professional debut) for that.

However, I left the theatre feeling confused. Was what I just watched intended as a cautionary tale about abusive relationships? A commentary on modern society? An attempt to find a common thread between periods of history? Perhaps it's meant to be all of the above. But Love and Other Acts of Violence doesn't quite fully achieve any of those aims.

Love and Other Acts of Violence is on at The Donmar Warehouse until 27 November 2021

Photo credit: Helen Murray

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