Trustfall
Tight, Terse and Tense
Trustfall
by Carly Durrer and Jade Harris-Tyler
222 Productions at The Hen and Chickens Theatre, Highbury 7th August
Review by Heather Moulson
Fresh off the plane, with a quest for Tesco’s, Carly walks headlong into an all-too meaningful reunion with her friend, Jade. This was just the first layer that peels away as many more truths were stripped bare, in Carly Durrer and Jade Harris-Tyler’s new play, Tustfall.
Make-up woes, hard partying, excessive alcohol consumption, are part of many shifts and turns that reveal so much about this relationship. It would be easy to say that Tustfall is simply a play about enduring friendship; but the subtext is far more complex.
Disappointments, betrayals, misunderstandings and mental health issues are featured in sharp focus. A friendship is brutally put to the test, and survives.
With sensitive lighting designed by Venus Raven, the limited space propels the actors into the small auditorium within a harsh sudden strip light. Despite feeling very exposed, it works to great effect.
Voiceovers move the pace along. However, working with only a sole box of props on a bare dark set, the actors have to rely on their strong performances and writing, which they indeed deliver.
Tustfall is performed by the writers and is a true-life piece, which hints at a mutual and shared biography. It is a candid one, as it depicts friendships clashing as hidden secrets bubble to the surface.
Slick direction by Carly Durrer and the authentic and honest acting create a nicely tight, terse and tense piece.
Heather Moulson, August 2023
Photography by Daniel McElroy
Mark Aspen 