Tamsin Paternoster
Words. Our social relationships are almost entirely based on words. Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons deconstructs words, and builds them back up in eloquence only to destroy them again. The deeply sincere writing holds every single word accountable, nurtures the thoughts of the audience, and poses fascinating questions about how we communicate in a way that is always provocative, never forceful.
Lemons plays with erudite speeches and half-words, the filtering of thoughts and mental backwash. In the capacity of a relationship, how far can lovers communicate, actually communicate? Bernadette laments her reluctance to become lingual in a ‘language’ that is not hers, but the second-hand communication of Oliver and his former partner. Steiner cleverly uses the context of a relationship, built on a soft and centre stage intimacy, to convey the ultimate importance of language, yet its disappointing limits.
Lemons’ scope is marvellously wide-ranging; as well as the smallest communication insecurities within the couple’s relationship, it also tackles the inconsistent value of words, the affectations that accompany words, how words create identities, and how identities fit into a hierarchy to create inequality, both within the young couple’s relationship, and society in general. The couple’s relationship forms, grows and crystallises within the play, but whilst Bernadette and Oliver create soft moments of beautifully outlined intimacy, they also build up tension and resolve it in a way that is lacklustre, the play dipping in and out of a consistent level of energy.
A bizarre but effective political fantasy interwoven with a sentimental couple story, Lemons’ greatest asset is its writing. Truly experimental and unique, the language is incredibly thoughtful and, confined to 140 words per day, valuable. How many words would you leave out if you were restricted to tweet-speak? Who would you save them for? In a deliberate yet discrete choreography, the couple never touch each other: their relationship, its highs, lows and abstract thoughts are engineered entirely by the writing. Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons is a humble play that invites you to consider its themes for yourself. It has politics, love, cat funerals, relationship advice and even the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: a must-see.
Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons is playing from August 16th-22nd as part of the Edinburgh Fringe festival. For more information, visit the Fringe website.