Greyscale

Debuting in London as part of Vault Festival 2019, Greyscale is a short, immersive and uneasy site-specific piece written by Madeline Gould and Joel Samuels. The play is limited to two main protagonists, Jamie/Jaz and Lucy/Lou, who deliver their own sides of one story….their first Tinder date.

Sensitively directed by Roann McCloskey, the production is set around Waterloo Vaults, with four cast members alternating the two pivotal roles. Capping the audience to a maximum of ten and immersing them from the start, the actors’ displays of vulnerability, modern expectations and, ultimately, mutual misunderstanding are entirely relatable and all the more compelling when placed within such an intimate group. 

The story is told from two very different perspectives. We first meet Jaz, a budding photographer. He describes his date with Lou with earnest eagerness: it went really well, he hopes to see her again, he took a few photos, he said they had fun…until he receives her text. We separately meet Lou, sat in a bar, with tears in her eyes. The date made her angry, she feels violated; her tender portrayal of a non-consensual encounter is uncomfortably genuine. Between their solo recounts we are led to a set, designed with peep-hole slots, to witness the two characters interact. We watch their date come to a close in Jaz’s bedroom, where this intentional voyeuristic shift allows time for us to observe and to invariably question which side we want to take. 

The play is an echo of the infamous Aziz Ansari case and is a nod to the #MeToo movement, putting a spotlight upon the fine line between what is acceptable and what is not. Creating a sense of genuine unease and authentically executed with believable acting, Greyscale makes us question past encounters and our own moral judgement.

Ezelle Alblas
Photos: Ali Wright

Greyscale is at Vehicle Venues from 2^nd February until 17^th March 2019. For further information or to book visit the show’s festival page here.

Read more reviews from our Vault Festival 2019 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Vault Festival website here.