Having read the ADC theatre’s brief description of the play, I was anticipating a deeply political, heart-wrenching story. Blue/orange did just that, taking on many societal issues, such as systemic racism within the medical system, social isolation, and hierarchy of power in the workplace. I was not, however, anticipating laughing as much as I did during this production, which swiftly and deftly shifts from deeply personal stories to comedy in mere seconds. I would be lying if I said I left with any understanding of, writer, Joe Penhall’s stance or of any moral alignment with the characters in the play. However, I did leave the Corpus Playroom reflecting on my own belief system and with a pang of heartache, not only for Chris but for our dying NHS.

This is a stellar cast—Michael Olatunji (Chris), Joe Harrington (Bruce) and Dounia El Barhdadi (Robert) create tangible, believable relationships that represent aspects of our own lives all too well. Every character is fleshed out and multi-dimensional and all three actors work together throughout the production to deliver the meat of this award-winning script, with impeccable comedic timing.

This feat is even more impressive considering that they only have each other to rely on. Whilst there was a slight dip in energy in the first half, it picks right back up after the interval. I only hope that as the run continues, the actors feel more comfortable in the space and look out into the audience more as it was slightly introspective at points.

“This production deftly shifts from deeply personal stories to comedy in mere seconds”

However, some, if not all, of these flwas may be attributed to blocking and lighting. Some of the audience struggled to properly see the faces of all three actors for extended periods of time, which was particularly problematic during one duologue in the first act. At points, the blocking seemed to be rather an afterthought. Moreover, the lighting for this production further isolated the audience from the performers on stage.

At its best, changes in lighting seemed unimportant and overly on the nose. At its worst, it pushed the events on stage further from the audience and alienated us—the intimate nature of the stage at the Corpus Playroom is one of its greatest assets and this play shone when the actors and staging made use of it. There were also some strange sound choices that seemed random and confused. My one caveat to this would be the opening moments of each act and the final scene, where it felt as if the lighting, sound, and staging were truly purposeful, and this was, for me, when the production felt the most cohesive overall.

At the end of the day, Blue/Orange is a unique and poignant story, with constantly shifting alliances and ethical codes, performed by a brilliant cast. I would strongly recommend that anyone interested in such socio-political issues, or anyone who enjoys seeing intimate plays, firmly rooted in relationships and conflicting wants, come to see this production.