Review: SUPERNOVA, Omnibus Theatre

Fresh off an Origins Award nomination to top a brief but mighty run at VAULT Festival earlier in the year, Supernova lands in Clapham in an explosive new production. Sci-fi fans Tess and Harry fall in love spurred by their shared interests. They are perfect for each other. Or, at least, they should be. Rhiannon Neads' debut play explores the space between mental health and romantic involvement, launching an emotionally direct mission into the burning craters of a relationship broken by depression.

"Do you have a favourite planet?" Tess is taken aback when Harry actually does. He flirts shamelessly while she pretends to wait for an Uber, she deflects at the start but their chemistry can't be ignored. They click instantly, date, accidentally move in together, then Tess begins to withdraw. It's an authentic transposition of affection in the modern age. Neads writes the ideal nerdy rom-com and then spins it into a cautionary tale. The differences between her characters combine with a general feeling of doom and seep into Tess.

Her self-imposed isolation takes its toll on their connection while her cruel defence mechanisms push Harry away. He doesn't know how to handle the increasingly worrisome status of her mental health. While Neads introduces the idea that Tess is depressed alongside an inability to express her feelings, the final verbalisation of her depressive episode is exceptionally written. Tess fears her own mind. It's a hard-hitting speech that's scarily accurate in its details. As a performer, she owns a caustic comic timing, matched perfectly by Sam Swann. They go from adorably cringeworthy to tragically defeated.

Directed by Jessica Dromgoole, the piece almost lives in its own universe, surrounded by props and objects relevant to their love story, neatly arranged like satellites orbiting Tess. When she is alone, Harry becomes one too, lingering on the sidelines alongside their playing cards, the telescope he gives her, or their fancy dress costumes. Dromgoole's relatively static direction highlights Neads's script. Snappy exchanges and effortless conversation become a silence as profound as the cracks between Tess and Harry.

Supernova doesn't feel like a debut play. Neads not only writes with emotional intelligence and psychological tact, she also has a knack for crafting realistic, magnetic dialogue. She draws the audience in, making them care irreparably for her characters. "In the scheme of things, I don't remotely matter" Tess says. But she does, and so does this play.

Supernova runs at the Omnibus Theatre until 13 May.

If you or anyone you know are experiencing issues similar to Tess's, you can find some help below.

Samaritans: call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

Papyrus (for people under 35): call 0800 068 41 41 or text 07786 209697

Campaign Against Living Miserably: call 0800 58 58 58 and webchat

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