Cost of Living

In at 7:30, out at 9:25, last night. Could be much shorter without all the meaningful pauses.

Adrian Lester (what a wonderful actor he is) starts this off with an impressive monologue. Warm, engaging, funny, touching in turns. But the play then veers between physical disability and mental problems, strictly speaking here loneliness and its consequences. And while some would argue these can be complementary to my mind they detract from each other in this play, stopping the playwright from a closer examination of either.

Good acting from the cast of four and some dramatic moments - best not gone into for spoiler reasons - save this from being anodyne but I wouldn't call this a great play, I expected more.

Nice staging from the Hampstead production team, moving between scenes seamlessly.

I too agree this is a good not a great play, but definitely recommended none the less. It has four incredibly strong actors with an amazing 15 minute opening monologue from Adrian Lester*.

Having read a few plot details I expected an absolute misery-fest but it isn't at all. I would have liked more scenes between the student and the hired carer since I found those the most engaging. Fantastically fluid design and scene changes.

*Since my day job is teaching the piano (and clarinet and saxophone) I was very impressed that when he was miming Satie's Gymnopedie no. 1 on the edge of the bath he got all of the fingering numbers correct (sorry if that's a bit anoraky.)

Also just to clarify a point made at the beginning of this thread. The actor/comedian Jack Hunter who plays the wheelchair-bound character with cerebral palsy does himself have CP. It is not to the severity of the character, but I think care has been taken to cast someone who could not only play the role well but also understood it through a shared disability. An article about him and how the issue was approached: www.hamhigh.co.uk/etcetera/theatre/preview-cost-of-living-hampstead-theatre-1-5874163

An extraordinary play, full of beautifully observed, affecting lingering, intimate moments, and 4 terrific performances, at times feisty and funny, more often achingly tender, slightly spoiled by what feels like a conventional koi ending to an otherwise unconventional play.

Some spoilers follow. . .

This is basically two two-handers, in which a broke and broken Adrian Lester cares for his ex-wife, Katy Sullivan, after she has a horrific accident, and a broke and unbroken Emily Barber takes a job caring for a bright young man with cerebral palsy.

The title of the piece thus refers to the impecuniousness of the carers, as well as the stresses and strains of relating to other human beings generally, as well as the horrific things that can happen to us that drastically change our expectations of life.

In terms of expressing all these human costs, by intercutting the two two-handers, the play is nothing short of magnificent, and like Mr Foxa, I was in tears, though well before the end.

The end I would question, as it somewhat squanders the naturalistic poetry of the superbly acted scenes of caring, and being cared for, by predictably uniting the two storylines. In fairness, there is an opening monologue set after much of the action of the play, which frames that action (before flashing back to it) and somewhat prepares us for the final scenes. Still, I felt a distinct slip, from some of the most exquisite, observant and affecting acting and writing, to some fairly conventional meet-cute drama.

That said, I think this is a must-see, with Adrian Lester on top tender form as a soft-hearted man, brutally buffeted by life (and ex-wife) and Katy Sullivan as that ex-wife, newly rendered quadriplegic, and unleashing some of her fury on her carer. What is wonderful about Sullivan's performance is how transparently she renders her true feelings in her bruised countenance, even as she affects a surface feisty toughness. (For fans of Netflix's Ozark, I found Sullivan's characterisation similar to, and equal to, that of Julia Garner's Ruth, ever spitting invective, brow furrowing with stormy rage, while micro-expressions of neediness and affection constantly bubble to the surface).

In their own way, Jack Hunter's surprisingly effusive, confident and charismatic cerebral palsy sufferer and Emily Barber's closed off carer, slowly opening her heart like petals of a flower, are equally wonderful in their depictions of uniquely defined characters.

Although I balked at contrived efforts to wrap up the storylines, this was wonderful in every other way. 4 and a half stars.

Really enjoyed this. I admit I went to see Adrian Lester and was not disappointed. He is exquisite throughout, the opening monologue a particular highlight. The rest of the cast are uniformly excellent. The Lester story wa the best for me, one scene in particular was so truthful and tender and evoked an overwhelming sensation of awe in me at what I was watching. One bit in particular, you could've heard a pin drop in the auditorium it was so tense!

I was also there for yesterdays final matinee and very much enjoyed this. Very good acting from all four of the cast, Adrian Lester was fantastic, some funny lines and moments and also a couple of devestating ones, including one which drew many gasps from the audience and caught everybody by surprise. Had me thinking throughout and afterwards about how life can change suddenly for people and how you would cope and adapt to such chances. Really glad I saw this.