With infectious enthusiasm and huge amounts of energy, Alison Goldie and Kath Burlinson divide all of the characters in this diverting kitchen sink drama between them, jumping from role to role in a bravura display of character-acting. From Nana, the ageing matriarch; to Carla, her bohemian daughter; and down to Pippa, Carla's lesbian niece; Loveplay takes a cross-generational look at love and relationships inside one dysfunctional family, throwing in a supporting cast of friends and neighbours for good measure.
Without the aid of props, Goldie and Burlinson bring each character to life in tum – shifting from 75 year-old Nana to 6 year-old Jack, 34 year-old Dave to 18 year-old Pippa – with such dexterity that somehow each of them seem to exist simultaneously in the same space. Relying on nothing other than their own skill as performers, the women successfully create a complete world. However, if you remove this entertaining device from Loveplay, regrettably you'd be left with rather a flimsy supporting structure.
Part soap opera, part sitcom, the material is all a bit mundane and pedestrian. There's really no edge to the complex web of relationships that the play seeks to explore. The basic ingredients are all there, but somehow they don't develop. I'd love to see The Weird Sisters push their material further into the surreal, funny or filthy territory which they hint at. At the moment, it all seems too safe, too cosy, too Radio 4. Having said that, however, Loveplay is undoubtedly entertaining and The Weird Sisters are clearly creating a strong reputation for their work both at home and abroad.