REVIEW: Trois Ruptures / Three Ruptures, Chelsea Theatre ✭✭✭

Trois Ruptures / Three Ruptures

Chelsea Theatre

22 January 2015

3 Stars

Reminiscent of the works of Ionesco, Trois Ruptures is a triptych of breakups—relationships that end for various reasons, exhaustion, latent homosexuality, and Twit-like hatred, all with varying levels of violent result.

The play also brings to mind the latest works of Caryl Churchill, with its quick paced repetition of text that blends the piece’s thoughtful if vulgar humour with a clear vision of the insanity that can occur as a relationship breaks down.

Edith Vernes and Chris Campbell both give solid performances. Their comic timing is excellent.

The scenic design is simple yet elegant, with only a table and curtains that double as film screens. Marianne Badrichani has crafted a clear vision and the film and sound design compliments the live work very well.

Though the performances are excellent, the play does leave an audience member somewhat cold. One understands the intellectual justification playwright Rémi De Vos's choices, but the text has more head than heart.

Trois Ruptures is an enjoyable night at the theatre, for sure. Disturbing, but without quite enough of a narrative push to deserve its level of disturbance.

But, theatre that makes one think is always worth seeing.

Review by James Garden