It will take you on a journey
(Image: Tristram Kenton_Smaller)
For me, it has been a long Winter so far – where I have felt the urge to hibernate, where I have felt a lot more introspective than usual. I think I am far from being alone in these feelings at this time of the year.
But, last night, I forced myself and my best friend out of the house, for a much-needed date night at the theatre. And, oh boy, I am so glad I did. Lost Atoms – at the Bristol Old Vic until January 24 – was just what I needed.
Telling the story of a romantic relationship between a man and a woman – Jess and Robbie, the only two people we see on stage -, I found the show to be extremely cathartic. Lost Atoms truly captures what love is and feels like; from the process of falling in love to a relationship ending, from the highs and intensity to the blowing, crushing lows.
(Image: Tristram Kenton_Smaller)
These are feelings and experiences that many of us have gone through, but Anna Jordan ( The Unreturning , Yen and TV’s Succession and One Day ) is able to beautifully and carefully put it into words. As someone who came out of a long-term relationship not that long ago and who has now re-entered the world of dating, I found it really resonated with me.
For me, Lost Atoms captures the very human need of connection, of belonging – of love. This one sentence – rightly so used by the Old Vic on the promotion – really stuck with me: “Love’s strange, isn’t it? You think you’re going to feel it in your chest, or your gut. But I swear, I can feel it in every cell.”
(Image: Tristram Kenton_Smaller)
Joe Layton (Robbie) and Jess (Hannah Sinclair Robinson) are both excellent, and it gave me such pleasure and joy to watch them. With a running time of 2h 20min (including interval), I was thoroughly engaged throughout and time seemed to fly as I found myself more and more immersed into their relationship.
The scenography is kept simple – it is all about the drawers – , but it is effective and adds another dimension to the production. Lost Atoms is certainly one of the best shows I have seen for some time, and I am not surprised by the glowing reviews it has had elsewhere.
The Bristol Old Vic is one of the city’s treasures and, on a cold Winter night, it gave me just what I needed without realising it; a couple of hours of outstanding acting and memorable writing.