In another universe, I imagine that there is a very real danger of going to a play named Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, and it turning out to be one of those bizarre theatrical experiences where you’re left with a glass of juice in your hands. In this universe however, Lemons, is a beautiful, more-rom-less-com story of a young couple, living in a time where the government makes stupid decisions.

Interfere like nobody’s watching: why this is the term you should start producing

Apart from the obvious restriction that plays out on stage, where the number of words characters can say is limited, there’s very little reason why this play should be able to affect you in the way it does. But it manages, and the reason it is able to do so is due to its script. It’s essentially a slice of the lives of Oliver and Bernadette, who actually happen to have very normal lives, but live in extraordinary times. Bernadette, a lawyer and Oliver, a musician who occasionally leads protest marches, have very differing career paths. Oliver has unresolved feelings for his ex-girlfriends and they’re both on opposite sides of the fence on a major governmental issue. But any social commentary on the suppression of free speech by the government serves merely as background noise to Oliver and Bernadette’s story.

"It's a very real, human and touching story, just in an absurd setting"

 The expressive Teuta Day and Harry Redding play the couple whom you desperately wish end up together. They make you live through their feuds, their jealousy of previous partners, Oliver's slightly misogynistic distrust of Bernadette’s driving and of course, their love. It’s a very real, human and touching story, just in an absurd setting. Oliver and Bernadette could be any couple you know. All the while, the word count keeps their interactions taut, but is never really able to contain the bursts of joy, love, anger, resentment and regret that come through, no matter how many words their expressions are contained to. 

The stage, set in an immaculate white, reflects the minimalism of 140 words. While the Corpus Playroom, with a cosier setting than the ADC, can at times make the word limit feel claustrophobic and suffocating (the defunct fireplace at one end doesn’t help either), the stage remains a soothing backdrop. Short conversations translate to rapid and frequent scene changes, which are near flawless in execution — a short run time of 70 minutes makes sure the play is crisp.

Notes from the stage door

I’m glad the elements of dystopia while staying in the backseat, don’t become just another gimmick, and this lets the play focus on the fact that at the end of the day, even in this twisted universe, It’s just a boy in front of a girl. Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons tells you that love is hard but if you work at it, it can be wonderful, even within the confines of 140 words.