Oh yeah, we watch plays too…

With the beginning of the new season ‘Spring’ in effect (for all of three days) it’s been interesting to note the amount of established relationships coming to an abrupt end; with many suggesting the emergence of Summer is causing “men to act up”….yeah, yeah, yeah. However it’s also interesting to note the amount of new relationships, engagements and romance come to fruition with the new season, a perfect time some would say for a group to produce a play which embodied exactly that.

Flourish Drama, an up and coming company, made up of five individuals with a love for all things creative and theatre based, put together “Matters of the Heart”, a production focusing on the different dynamics in relationships, love and the ‘Male Break-Up Cycle. BWNG were invited last week to watch the play on its closing night and we decided to do a review and ask our readers some questions along the way as a result.

This was a story of three young men (Miles, Ryan and Sebastian) and four young women (Tessa, Amerie, Michelle and Collette) who sought or encountered the various difficulties in which The L word can bring about.

The opening saw a drunken Miles end up at his ex-girlfriend (Michelle’s) front door, begging and pleading with her to take him back after she had broken up with him; after which, she rang Collette who is married to Ryan to come and pick up Miles. This in essence became the catalyst of the break up cycle theme as Ryan and Sebastian advised Miles on the stages of getting over a break up.

QUESTION 1 FOR THE READERS: How DO you get over a break-up?

“The interesting thing that I took from this, and I wonder if women will, is that despite what we tell you all the time, men actually want their boys to win at love” – Panama Jackson

This was quoted in a review for the movie Think Like A Man, very apt as it reflects the exact thing I took from this play. No matter the dynamic of a male group’s friendship, ultimately we want our boys to be happy in love….

awwwhatever.

The characters in the play provided a wide range of relatable and familiar archetypes, some hitting close to home. You had Miles, who lacked confidence and some would describe as a hopeless romantic constantly receiving advice from his mates which was a significant portrayal of ‘The Yak’.
Ryan, who’d been married for a long time was certainly the most mature with respects to relationships and had many anecdotes for it’s relating issues, just like brother ‘JC’…and Sebastian, who was the ladies man, confidence was on a hundred (thousand, trillion) and found himself constantly trying to advice Miles with respects to the game ‘Maverick’. No Don Kwelu-esque character  to relate to, but he’s insane so it was unlikely.

The various female roles were a blessing and certainly a positive from a man’s perspective with regards to insight.

You had the hopeless romantic ‘Amerie’ who resulted in looking for love on the internet, through dating websites.

QUESTION 2 FOR THE READERS: Is the Internet a reliable source for finding love?

Tessa who was the A-typical corporate women who continuously expressed how she had no interest in love however found herself falling for Sebastian (damn he’s good)…

Collette – who was married to Ryan however had come to a point where she couldn’t engage in sexual relations with him, which we later on found out was a result of losing a child earlier on in their relationship… (Got a bit political between her and her husband, 10 months no sex…it weakens the strongest of us)

Michelle – who broke up with Miles and then got engaged to someone else but then decided once Miles seemed over her, she wanted him back…Typical women stuff, when a brother steps he’s game up now you want a man back and isshh…Those types of women get a maverick elbow.

QUESTION 3 FOR THE READERS: Why Do They Always Want You When You’re Taken?

They all delivered.

A simple setting and small amount of props allowed the cast to execute the characters brilliantly sending various messages across in a manner filled with constant humour and rigour. I particularly enjoyed the witty ending, having Sebastian who had been advising Miles during the whole play on how to win over women from a surface perspective, end up being drunk and singing love songs to Tessa; (exactly how Miles opened up the play) after he had fallen for her but couldn’t help himself away from the players game.

Lesson for the day, players don’t fall in love.

The duration of the play which had my backside feeling numb at the end was countered by the constant laughs and as BWNG pride ourselves on humour, it certainly gets a BWNG 9/10 star approval.

Well done Flourish!

So Ladies and Gents what’s your answers for the three questions? And if any of you were lucky to see the play, what did you think of it? Hit me up!