At Birth – Baron’s Court Theatre

The stage is set with 3 stage-blocks, a couple of wine glasses, a bottle of white wine, and an assortment of stuffed animals neatly arranged in a corner. Sitting in an intimate setting watching Isaac (Ty Autry) and Anna (Thalia Gonzales Kane) work through an unplanned pregnancy was like dropping in on crucial moments of their life. The premise of the show is hilarious and intriguing– two best friends Anna, a lesbian, and Ty, a gold-star gay man, have sex. What starts off as a funny, light-hearted, and awkward piece, then explores the difficulties Anna faces after finding out that she is pregnant.

Isaac and Anna, drinking wine, talking about past relationships, and feeling sexually frustrated but also too lazy to find other partners, express their desire to have sex. The first scene is light-hearted, but significant in the topics it tackles about gender, sexuality, and friendships. They don’t shy away from discussing sexual preferences in detail. The scene completely explores how two friends who would ordinarily not be interested in having sex with one another, after much conversation and a few more shots of vodka, finally do. This first scene enlivened the audience with a range of emotions; every audience member found a moment relatable, and our reactions filled the cosy theatre adding energy to the space.

We find Anna and Ty navigating the rocky waters of differences and love as they ponder keeping the pregnancy. Set in Georgia, US after Roe v/s Wade was overturned, the show engages in the impact of these laws on human life. Each scene of the play deals with a new phase of their friendship and the pregnancy.

While the performances were great, Anna and Isaac’s relationship seemed underdeveloped, making it difficult to remember that they were in fact best friends going through this difficult ordeal. I wanted to know more about them, and their worlds. In the end I felt that I had yet to get to know them well, and this inhibited me from connecting with them as they went through the joys and trepidations of pregnancy. The show experienced some mis-timed lighting and sound cues. The second half of the show was less gripping than the first couple of scenes. Although enjoyable, the writing in the second half of the play loses the impact the first scene had. While the premise is enticing, by the end of the play one is unsure where we have ended up: the closing scenes lacked strength in its writing and performance. But the spirited audience attests that it’s an enjoyable night out and is a performance well suited for a pub theatre.

At Birth runs for 60 mins. It has won the Doric Wilson Award for Intercultural Dialogue, the Oscar Wild Award for Best Writing, and the Sean Meehan Award for Celebrating Identity in Theatre. At Birth runs at Baron’s Court until 20th May.

Reviewer: Anisha Anantpurkar

Reviewed: 18th May 2023

North West End UK Rating: