Life Seen Through a Camera Lens is Dangerously Skewed

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REALIFE TV at Barons Court Theatre is beautifully done and very clever, says Penny Flood

This terrific new play looks at what happens when real life and reality television collide. Reality gets dangerously skewed when it's only seen through the lens of a camera.

It's the fourth play from RedNeedle Productions and it's their best yet. The author, Ian Buckley was in the audience, it was the first time he'd seen the finished version, and he was in tears at the end as were most of the audience.

The central figure in the story is Angela (Roseanna Frascona), a fiercely ambitious young researcher with a  production company called RealLife TV. She's determined to make her mark and impress her smoothy boss  Jason (Alexander Jonas) who seems to fancy her almost as much as he fancies himself. 

Jason is at the  mercy of studio bosses who are screaming for bigger viewing figures, and Angela thinks she's found the answer -  a man claiming to have lost his memory. Her idea is to help him find his memory and get his life back, live on television.  Jason loves the idea and is sure viewers will flock to watch it.

And so with mind blowing self delusion, proclaiming  the programme to be a good thing, they go ahead.

The trouble is that ambition, money and fame are the real drivers in this, the man and everybody else whose lives will be invaded come a poor second.  The world of RealLife TV, as inhabited by Angela and Jason  isn't the real world, something they grasp only when it's to late. In their world reality and subsequently the truth is what they make it to be and what will please the bosses.

Slickly directed by Anthony Shrubsall, the action alternates with Angela's monologues  as she sits alone talking to her only friend,  the camera. That's how we learn about her and  her insecurities and it moves the plot along. But Angela has one big problem, she hasn't developed the thick, skin needed to survive in this industry, although she's not above stooping pretty low to achieve her ends.

Bit by bit the man's memory returns, his name is Carl (Fed Zanni)with a wife and two children. Using some barely legal research, Angela finds out where he used to  live, and sets about tracing his wife Helen, nicely played by Katrina Cooke, shabbily dressed and unmade up in stark contrast to the glamorous  Angela. Helen has doubts about the whole project but with a bit of bribery and smooth TV flattery Angela gets her way.

And so things proceed, Angela ploughs on, either wilfully ignoring or just missing the many warning signs along the way until it hurtles to its devastating conclusion. The tension is terrific, it's been signalled that something is bound to go wrong with no indication as to what form it will take so when it does it's a shock.

Of course there are recriminations and poor Angela, alone at the end and talking to her only friend, is learning the hard way that real life isn't always what you see on TV. Real life can chew you up and spit you out, just because you've got cheerleaders when you're on the way up, doesn't mean there will be anybody there to catch you on the way down.

Very, very clever stuff beautifully done and well worth a trip down Comeragh Road. It's only on until 29th May so get your skates, productions of this quality outside the big expensive West End theatres  are rare.

REALIFE TV runs from May 17 till May 29, from Tuesdays to Saturdays at 7.30pm and Sundays at 6.30pm, with matinees on Saturdays at 2.30pm. It is suitable for ages 15 and above.

Tickets: £12, £10 concessions

BOX OFFICE: 020 8932 4747

EMAIL BOOKINGS: Send details of performance and number of tickets required to londontheatre@gmail.com. Pay for them in cash when you come to the performance.

Barons Court Theatre is at the Curtain's Up pub in Comeragh Road, W14.

May 20, 2016