Wednesday 10th April 2024
Present: me, Riley
The driver for seeing this one was purely timing: a uncommonly late 3pm kick-off (see what I did there), when Riley had a lunch until 2-2.30. As it happens it was a low-key, enjoyable little gem showing to an unusually diverse audience.
The 3 stars began with a little footie with some of the younger audience members. Once the lights went down, it became clear this play was dialogue-heavy in authentically solid south/east London accents. I rightly surmised that Riley might take a while to get his ear attuned.
Via several enjoyable vignettes, Red Pitch explored themes around friendship, poverty, ambition and regeneration and had a few emotional and heart-warming moments along the way.
I don't like the fashion for a standing ovation at every performance and, had I not wanted to see the stage and the actors and the kids from the warm-up (tee tee) at the end, I'd have stayed seated for this one but I would have been grinning and given a hearty applause.
I went with no prior knowledge and no expectations but this was a perfectly enjoyable and refreshing afternoon at the theatre.
