BWW Reviews: CONTACT.COM, Park Theatre, January 15 2015

Contact.com at the Park Theatre follows fortysomething married couple Matthew (Jason Durr) and his wife Naomi (Tanya Franks) as they prepare to open their home to young couple Ryan (Ralph Aiken) and Kelly (Charlie Brooks) whom they met after replying to their online advertisement. Both couples are stuck in a bit of a rut and are hoping that swapping partners might help them recreate the electric chemistry they initially had together.

Michael Kingsbury's play brings together two worlds - the middle-class, middle-aged living in a beautiful house in Islington and the younger South London couple who are seemingly struggling to make ends meet. Having had a taste of this world it is clear that both Ryan and Kelly are reluctant to return to their ordinary lives, while Naomi is certainly keen for Ryan to stay a little longer. But when Matthew and Kelly begin to spend more time together, the audience begins to wonder if Naomi and Ryan are equally happy about the extended holiday. Initially the production appears quite basic on the surface, but in the second act it suddenly becomes more complicated, with secrets and accusations rising to the surface.

Set designer Janet Bird creates a sleek, stylish and modern living space within the Park's main stage and while the pace of the play is slow to begin with, director Ian Brown ensures the tempo of the second act is much quicker. The first meeting between the foursome is so awkward it may have you shuffling uncomfortably in your seat and although this slight awkwardness continues throughout the play, it never overwhelms it. In the second act the production moves away from the more basic theme and delves into the differences between the classes and social responsibility, with Matthew feeling it is his duty to look after those less fortunate - in this case Ryan and Kelly who are all too happy to allow him to help. Tanya Franks gives an honest portrayal of a woman coerced into the uncomfortable situation by her husband, and of all four characters, her reactions to the situations she finds herself in are the most realistic. While the situation does seem very far-fetched, there are some laugh-out-loud moments amongst the drama - but the one-dimensional working-class characters do leave a lot to be desired.

Photo Credit: Kim Hardy