BWW Reviews: PRECIOUS LITTLE TALENT, Trafalgar Studios, April 8, 2011

Precious Little Talent is exciting. It doesn't tackle extraordinary subject matter, or boast lavish sets and costumes, but instead it takes a very real and ordinary story and tells it in a refreshingly honest way which lacks self-consciousness.

In a nutshell, the story follows Joey, a recently-graduated English woman who pays a surprise Christmas visit to her father, George, in New York after becoming disillusioned with her lack of post-university success. While there she meets Sam, a young idealistic American who has been caring for her father in his deteriorating state, though George refuses to reveal his condition to his daughter. George and Sam try to get along through the course of Christmas Day, fighting the pressure of festive expectations, a complicated history and, ultimately, each other. Meanwhile, Sam provides the optimistic counterbalance to the pair, adamantly holding onto the principle of belief through their cynical, disappointed anger.

As with any story, it's the way in which it is brought to life which makes it special. The dialogue is sharp in both the dramatic and comic moments, and the characters are crafted with honesty and depth. The individual relationships between each of the three characters are all equally compelling, though the spikey, careful but ultimately loving relationship between father and daughter is particularly poignant as they come to terms with the people they've become and what future might await them.

Writer Ella Hickson has done a masterful job of capturing the feeling of longing for the past which is inherent in growing up, even if what you're longing for didn't make you particularly happy to begin with. Olivia Hallinan gives a compelling performance as Joey, bringing a palpable quality to how lost she is, and consequently how angry she feels at the absence of the future she was promised. Similarly, Ian Gelder gives us a brilliant, layered portrayal of George, a man looking back on what is left of his memories and battling with the anger and frustration that life never turned out how he expected, and that he is now losing his greatest achievement - his mind.

Definitely not to be overlooked is Anthony Welsh who brings the optimistic Sam to life beautifully, injecting positivity, hope and humour into an often dark story. Rather than his optimism being as a result of naivety or of living a charmed life thus far, Sam demonstrates how much strength it takes to keep your belief in anything when life gives you plenty of reasons not to. Welsh's performance is engaging and refreshing, bringing sincerity and perspective to Sam's positivity. Rather than being deflated by George and Joey's sharp, cynical tongues, he challenges them and defends the idea of belief as fervently as they protest the idea that belief is foolish.

The aesthetics of the play are equally as interesting as the writing itself. Lucy Osborne's design works wonderfully well with Emma Laxton's sound and Mark Jonathan's lighting design to create a range of enveloping atmospheres. The audience is drawn into the scene, whether it's a cold, industrial New York rooftop, a stark subway carriage or George's bare apartment as it is transformed by Joey's presence, and everything accomplished is done so with limited space and a multifunctional set. The entire creative team have achieved the impressive task of enhancing the story without making their significant contributions overly obvious as you're watching.

A brilliant piece on all fronts, which proves that a play can be honest about the harsh realities of life yet leave you feeling hopeful.

Precious Little Talent is on at Trafalgar Studios until Saturday 30th April.

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