The Edit at Theatre 503

A bittersweet story delicately unfolds in The Edit, a masterclass in fringe theatre. 

It’s been two years since Nick and Elena were together and two years since they last spoke. As Elena visits Nick at his flat to collect a camera she left there, all sorts of emotions bubble up. What begins as a tame and awkward exchange quickly builds into an on-edge affair as the characters realise they still love each other.

In one fell 120 minutes, Sarah Gordon becomes the envy of writers all over London. With her words, she weaves an honest and sympathetic narrative stuffed with stunning moments. Everything from tenderness to hilarity flows effortlessly in this script. It’s both raw and incredibly entertaining.

Joe Hufton’s direction is superb, turning every exchange, every line into a little moment of reality. The odd look, the odd stutter, the odd choke-up: the play is full of subtleties that make it difficult to remember sometimes that this is a piece of fiction. It’s the perfect complement to Gordon’s writing.

But such brutal emotion and such delicate direction can be incredibly demanding and difficult for even veteran actors. Not for Jamie Wilkes and Serena Manteghi. Or at least they don’t show it. 

Set design, particularly that of living rooms, in low budget shows is all too often drab and unremarkable. In pursuit of realness, it sacrifices character. But designer Lydia Denno has turned not much more than a bit of paint into a genuinely striking and stylish feast, allowing the flat to become the third character in the show.

The Edit has been put together masterfully from script to stage. Everything about it adds up to a greatly enjoyable piece. It may only be January, but it’s hard to imagine there will be a better show for less than £20 a ticket this year.

Jim Compton-Hall
Photo: Sabina Mckenzie Brown

The Edit is at Theatre 503 from 7^th January until 11^th January 2020. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.