How to Keep an Alien at Soho Theatre

At an intimate gathering at Soho Theatre, Sonya Kelly’s live-spirited voice never fails to fill the room. Illuminating the tremendous effort needed to keep two lovers together, How to Keep an Alien is a fun-filled contemporary show that deserves a humorous audience.

Fringe First and Best Production Award winner, Sonya Kelly, brings to London her truly funny memoir about the struggles of securing an Irish visa for her Australian partner Kate. This is no simple tale of two long lost lovers being separated by distance but by the bureaucratic system. Kelly narrates her adventure from sun-restricted Ireland to the hot suburbs of Queensland with an inspirational bite – all in the name of love with a hefty amount of paperwork thrown in for good measure.

Interestingly, the lack of cast members provides the audience a more private affair, in line with the theme, where love is also to be enjoyed exclusively. Kelly’s portrayal of herself is as authentic as it gets, with moments revealing that her true identity is just as enthusiastic as her character’s. The only other supporting character is stage manager Justin Murphy, who draws even more laughs with unexpected break-out songs and, at crucial times, acting as a conscience for Kelly. The dialogue remains modern and is delivered with utter joy – an increasingly important component as the story comes to an end.

This performance does not rely heavily on its props or settings to increase drama but instead on its character. Switching effortlessly between comedy and passion is tricky to notice at times but can easily be distinguished by a momentary spotlight.

A portrayal of finding love, keeping it and then having to prove it has the potential to be an exhausted subject, but Kelly delivers it with originality as a result of her cheery performance and witty dialogue. Sonya Kelly’s How to Keep an Alien is an energetic tale of the trials and tribulations of cementing love.

Vineeta Sathiamoorthy

How to Keep an Alien is on at the Soho Theatre from 1^st until 19^th December 2015, for further information or to book visit here.