Split Infinitive are back at the Camden Fringe
★★★☆☆
Split Infinitive Theatre have made a return to the Camden Fringe after their success with I Heart Michael Ball but this year Alexander Millington is joined on stage by his wife Helen, as the pair seek to examine the relationship between a sex worker and her client. With both gifting strong performances, this is a worthwhile piece of theatre but the novel concept fails to fully land.
I thought the play was going to be cancelled. The staged argument that greeted us as we took our seats sees the couple a little frantic as one of their actors is missing. Helen it seems must step in as understudy, script in hand - she is not happy. The show begins and Alex explains that this play is all true, well mostly, apart from the bits that aren’t. He has spent significant time seeing a sex worker (Crystal), capturing her story in order to craft this production but he has been less than truthful about the extent of his visits to her caravan, lying to both his wife and Crystal. His actions casting significant light on dubious journalistic and creative practices.
The couple continuously break the 4th wall, asking questions of us and even inviting audience members to be part of the narrative. They are engaging and captivating, neatly ensuring anyone involved is comfortable and transitioning us into regular active participants. The style however feels disjointed the two clashing narratives get in the way of one another, neither receiving a truly satisfying arc or conclusion. I understood the direction the pair were headed in but the destination never quite materialised. Split Infinitive are talented theatre makers, but this time round the production lacked completeness and purpose though I don’t doubt the potential within the production that future iterations can uncover.
Running until 12th August - Tickets