Camden Fringe 2017: Flood at the Tristan Bates Theatre

Five characters, one funeral and a flooded house full of memories make up Tom Hartwell’s Flood. Filled with tension and sweet encounters, the piece explores the personal conflicts of a group of friends who come back to their hometown to offer support to Jess and Adam after their mother’s death.

All the action takes place inside the house, on the funeral day, and the audience gets to see how pictures, alcohol and the awful weather affect every character. Along with the siblings, we watch Jess’s fiancé Michael, old school classmate Ben and Laura, Adam’s ex-girlfriend, in most scenes. Although all of them could be considered protagonists here, Adam plays the point of conflict and the reason why the rest of characters are very much affected by these events. His life trajectory and the way he romanticises the past threatens his sister’s and friends’ lifestyle to the point of him being isolated and pitied for his lack of ambition in life.

Being a character-driven play, the performances are one of this production’s fortes. Jon Tozzi as the tortured and quirky Adam delivers the most sarcastic lines in a effortless, humorous way that prompts laughs in the audience more than once. At the same time, Tozzi hits the highest emotional notes during several scenes, being a definite highlight of the whole theatrical experience. Tom Hartwell is also particularly funny as the unlikeable and pretentious Londoner Ben, trapped inside Adam and Laura’s (Molly McGeachin) love story. Nathan Coenen and Emily Céline Thomson are fresh and lovely as a very realistic couple kicking off their life together in the big city and wanting to leave the past behind them – a great counterpoint to the more dramatic part of the plot. 

Flood is a play worth watching, with an amazing cast and even more incredible human characters who speak about London, life’s challenges and real people. Not one to be missed. 

Maria Barrios

Flood is at the Tristan Bates Theatre from 31^st July until 5^th August 2017, For further information or to book visit here. here.

For further information about Camden Fringe Festival 2017 visit the website here.

Watch the trailer for Flood here: