Devised and performed by Claudia Saavedra, Eric Silver and Philip Greenoak of Almost Professional, this is a quirky filmed play with its tongue firmly in its cheek.
Threesome tells the cautionary tale of two flat mates Alex (Silver) and Eve (Saavedra) who are seeking another flat mate to share their running costs. They soon have a suitable candidate for the spare room so they set about interviewing Evan (Greenoak) with unexpected results.
It’s obvious that the three actors are enjoying themselves all the way through and the dialogue in parts is quite witty and sharp, but it does suffer from a pretty slow start and it isn’t really until the third character Evan comes into the frame that things stay to fly.
It’s safe to ask that why anyone would want to share a flat with any of these odd characters in the first place is the big question, but I suppose that’s the whole point (and fun) of this show.
Silver gives a great performance as cynical Alex who rather bizarrely adopts a stutter halfway through the film, while Saavedra is excellent as the insatiable and over-excited Eve who eyes potential new flatmate Evan as a potential sexual partner. Greenoak as Evan provides a well-judged performance balancing confusion and sinister in equal measure and when he eventually opens up to Alex and Eve, his foot is well and truly in the door – no way out now!
It’s probably a familiar story and in tone rather basic but the three actors invest bags of energy throughout and by the end you really begin to care for them (well maybe not so much for Evan perhaps)
Threesome could’ve gone the way of a strong dark psychological drama, but it chooses to be light hearted and giddy which I think is the best decision all round.
Streaming online until 27th June at https://www.brightonfringe.org/whats-on/threesome-153679/
Reviewer: Kiefer Williams
Reviewed: 19th June 2021
North West End UK Rating: ★★★