Abbie Lowe
If two couples move in together and then 48 hours one-half of each couple dies stealing a chicken shop doormat, what do the other two do now? Lucy Foley’s debut play Flat 2 is a comedic and heart-wrenching look at grief in your 20’s.
The show opens with an audio recording of the night that led to Billie and Stefan’s death, the lights up on the empty flat, with boxes still filled. Ava and Freddie enter after what we know is a night in the hospital, to their new flat and their new lives. The set up of the show is strong, throwing you straight into the narrative without confusion or mess.
I loved that this script didn’t shy away the uncomfortable jokes made in the throes of grief. Foley perfectly captures the feeling of the ‘if you don’t laugh you’ll cry’ moments of your world falling apart throughout. These are balanced well with some hard hitting truths like unpacking mugs and characters struggling to sleep in a once shared bed. The moments of light relief for both the characters and the audience, such as smashing plates, the fourth wall break birthday party and insane landlord phone calls are really special, and well placed to allow a second to breathe.
I really enjoyed the movement scenes, repetitive moments in a transition that allowed each character their moment of isolation to show coping mechanisms. This was an effective peek into how they are operating without the crutch of each other in their day to day, and think it worked perfectly as a narrative device to move forward.
Lucy Foley is a captivating performer. I found myself watching her small movements and facial expressions in every scene that showed her as a natural and vulnerable actor, perfect for the character she has written. Her standout is the final confrontation scene with Freddie, when her emotions explode onto the stage. This never looked forced or excessive, instead a truthful breakdown from what has happened to her. I often believe writers can be too close to their work and should hand the character over to someone else, but this isn’t true of Foley at all. I couldn’t imagine another actor in her place.
Tom Ashen’s Freddie is a fantastic comedic performer. He delivers subtle comedy and breaks dark moments with expert timing. As the performance moved forward I think he became more in touch with character emotions, and I think with an extension of the post-funeral scene we would be able to see a fantastically emotional performance in the moments of Freddie blaming himself. It feels like this open and honest moment was moved away from a few minutes too fast, not allowing the full potential.
It is clear every element of this production has been crafted with thought. A favourite moment of mine is when they are dressing for the funeral. Ava is wearing a casual black dress and a pair of Doc Marten boots, and Freddie a black t-shirt and jeans, which was such a striking moment. These costume choices were a reminder of the age and vulnerability of these characters, telling you that although they have been through this tragedy they are only just stepping away from their teen years and into adulthood. It is a wonderful moment of detail with a deep impact.
What I feel Flat 2 is lacking is a bigger rollercoaster between scenes. While this works for displaying the monotony of how life goes on after tragedy, I feel this is well displayed in movement scenes already. It fell into the trap of feeling quite one-note. I wished the highs felt higher and more euphoric, while the lows felt more emotional and gut-wrenching. I felt this was achieved perfectly in the moment of confrontation towards the end of the piece where the actors let their emotions run freely and everything bubbles to the surface. The subtle build up to this moment was there in the narrative, but I couldn’t feel the tension from the actors and wanted that to be pulled out from them more. A few subtleties in their performance would have made the scenes feel more dynamic and tense, for a stronger emotional pay-off for the audience at the end.
Some transitions within the performance worked effectively, and kept the audience engaged, but occasionally I did feel like we were missing out by watching an empty stage while there were costume changes. I think there could be more effective ways to use the time, like hearing voice notes or voice mail messages from Billie and Stefan, or the landlord chasing up Ava.
I believe a lot of scenes in Flat 2 would benefit from being longer. Like many performances at the Fringe I think this suffered from the hour-long time slot constraint. To add more tension, allow the movement to feel slower and more monotonous, dive deeper into the effects of grief, and perfect the slow-burn romance/sexual tension I was craving throughout, this show would thrive if it were extended. Although satisfying, and wrapped up neatly with a call back to the opening scene at the end, this felt like snapshots rather than a full dive into Ava and Freddie’s journey. I left craving more.
This show is a wonderful dive into grief and complicated emotions in your 20’s. It is well worth your time at the Fringe as I believe this company will grow and develop into something great. Lucy Foley is a writer with a lot of promise and one to watch. I can’t wait to see the development of Flat 2 and what she does next.
Recommended drink: A cold can of beer, sat cross legged on the floor with a friend.
You can see Flat 2 at The Space on the Mile from 12th-17th at 12.05pm. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.
Phoebe Bakker
Jake Mace
