Imagine trying to communicate in only 140 words every day? Impossible right?
Bernadette and Oliver are living in an Orwellian nightmare where during their relationship, a 'hush law' is enacted meaning they have 140 words, every day, and that is it.
The venue is a theatre in the round, with two mics in the centre, sunlight streaming through vents in the roof. The staging is incredibly clever - with the conversations on mic representing conversation under the hush law - while everything off mic is normal conversation. We see the couple meeting and getting to know each other through conversation, and ultimately trying to communicate when the law is enforced. They are constantly announcing numbers before they speak and as the law is enforced we realised that this is one of the little 'tricks' they prepare to know how many words the other has left. They merge words together as a word saving code and even attempt morse code. These elements were touching as anyone who has been in a relationship can recognise these little couples codes and ways of speaking.
It was hilarious to watch them struggling to express themselves when they had the words, heartbreaking to see how they couldn't communicate without them, and heartwarming to see how desperately they tried. After the law came into force the staging swapped over, so that their first meeting became recounted on the mics and their present every day conversations within the limit were off mic. The physical movement and use of space and silences was powerful in illustrating the difficulties within their relationship and attempts to communicate.
This show utterly captured the importance of words, language and communication and was an incredibly poignant portrayal of how we lose our freedom when we lose our voices. It was a credit to the cast that it felt so deeply personal and that they were able to carry such a huge range of emotions, not to mention a sense of suspense and tension throughout the performance. The audience was utterly captivated and visibly reacting to each of the emotional changes throughout. Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons is a truly fantastic exploration of human communication and relationships, and is an absolutely must see show.
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