The Lives of Eve

And this cast of four does well. Eve (Helen O’Connor) is a Lacanian psychoanalyst soon at odds with young Sylvia on the couch, (newcomer Louisa Panucci), a manipulative egocentric who can’t stop talking, wondering why she can’t reach sexual climax. 

Eve takes her work – and exasperation – home where she prods and fights with her supportive needy husband, Paul (a convincing Noel Hodda), and confides and banters with her late mother’s ebullient ghost (Annie Byron). 

Eve, Paul and Sylvia all talk about trying to fulfill their sexual desires. Maybe it’s a typical male preoccupation, even here for a male playwright focusing heavily on  female frustrations – and I enjoyed that take. But for Sewell, our sexual concerns just disguise our wider fear that we won’t grasp our freedom and fully live out our ambition.   Ironically, the wordsmith is equally enamoured of another Lacanian belief: that too many words we use wrongly define us and cloud the truth.

Despite Eve’s wordy self-analysis, and O’Conner playing her with convincing anger and attack, her frustrations are only clear from one of the big reveals near the end.  Apart from Byron’s happy ghost, all three are finally stripped naked, when Sewell allows his characters to finally breathe.

The KXT Theatre in Broadway has a narrow traverse stage which, while intimate, doesn’t allow the cast much expressive freedom and with director Kim Hardwick they struggle to find new options.  Designer Hannah Yardley makes good use of attractive Persian carpets and lamps throughout, hinting perhaps at professional affluence or sexual fantasy.  And Jess Pizzinga drives the beating sound which underpins the sexual tension, in a new play which – if you listen to the ideas - finally rewards.

Martin Portus

Photographer: Danielle Lyonne