Review: Passing By at the Tristan Bates
08/11/2013
Written in the 1970s Passing By is set in a New York that is a gritty mix of booming creative scene, street crime and dereliction. It is also set against a society in which two men seen kissing in public could be arrested.
But Passing By is remarkable for what it doesn't say rather than what it does. We have grown used to political gay plays and perhaps for that reason Passing By initially seems like a soft touch because its two gay characters don't dwell on issues of homophobia or prejudice. Instead it remains in the background focusing instead on a love story in which the two protagonist just happen to be male.
Toby (Rik Makarem) and Simon (James Cartwright) meet in a cinema and end up in bed. However, there is an attraction that goes beyond the carnal pleasure of a one night stand. Simon is alone in New York having travelled up from Florida to get a job and is glad to have found a kindred spirit but Toby is reluctant to embark on anything more substantial as he is planning a long trip to France where he hopes to develop his career as an artist.
Solid enough performances from Rik Makarem and James Cartwright although in the bijou space of the Tristan Bates they could get away with a little more subtlety. Passing By has some lovely moments and is quite tender and funny. At times it can feel a little too sweet and lacking in teeth but turns out to be a nice character piece that doesn't quite go where you expect it to.
Passing By runs at the Tristan Bates theatre until 30 November and you can read Poly's review here.
RS/BW 6DS
James Cartwright was in the History Boys with Matt Smith who's worked with David Tennant who, from comments he's made about Mr W in recent interviews, has obviously met him.