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It's good to talk
SIMON PARSONS recommends an acute exploration of the negatives of non-communication
Not talking

Not Talking
Arcola Theatre, London

PREVIOUSLY performed as a radio drama, Mike Bartlett's first play for the stage is a portent of the playwright's notable career.

Director James Hillier has his cast of four, ageing married couple James and Lucy and young squaddies Mark and Amanda, interweave their interlocking monologues on a stripped-down thrust stage.

They are linked by their inability to talk to one another about life-shaping events — incidents and decisions that potentially could bond the couples trigger breakdown they are unable to share.

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