Accepted into Q Theatre’s ‘Summer at Q’ programme for 2020, PLAY (Coleman’s theatre writing debut) was workshopped by the director (Tom Sainsbury, comedian and snapchat dude) and cast and premiered in February this year.

Writer Rich (Alex Walker) is a polyamorous man who’s in an open relationship with realtor Dan (Zak Enayat) and starts dating monogamy seeking art gallery worker Nick (Liam Coleman). Relationships can be complicated enough but with these three and their different definitions of fidelity it’s an emotional minefield. Rich is careful with his steps with both lovers, aware that his capacity for love may be bigger than they can handle. [More] 

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Tom Sainsbury reveals, in his Director’s note, his response to receiving Liam Coleman’s script: “What I loved about PLAY was the absolute true-to-lifeness of it all. What the characters are going through is was almost too painfully real for me.” I read this once we have settled into the judiciously physically distanced audience, in BATS Random space and removed our masks. The anticipation is palpable.

Imagine my surprise, then, when Play presents itself as a contemporary Oscar Wilde pastiche. Ricardo (Alex Walker) and Donnie (Zak Enayat) arrive at one of the city’s ‘top 10’ restaurants, reputed to have sparkling water in its bidets. The waiter, Nikolai (Liam Coleman) specialises in risqué repartee to the enjoyment of all, including the somewhat bewildered audience. The heightened performances, rooted in truth, are very entertaining.

A clandestine assignation ensues and is discovered. A marriage of eight years is on the skids. Options and protocols are desperately debated. Although in-group terms like ‘slurpee’ and ‘a Sally’ are bandied, anyone of any gender and sexual orientation who has cheated or been cheated on, or fears it or has been tempted, will be able to relate. Then suddenly …

I won’t spell it out the surprise. Let’s just say the promised true-to-lifeness and painful realities materialise as we tune into the lives of aspiring playwright Rich (Alex Walker), art gallery employee Nick (Liam Coleman) and real-estate agent Dan (Zak Enayat). None are in a committed relationship, all are up for casual gay sex – what could possibly go wrong?

Well, a primary relationship develops to the extent that one invites the other to be his flatmate. And although he wants an open relationship, provided the primary relationship takes precedence, he cannot accept the proposition of casual sex occurring with someone his partner likes. Even worse, his partner claims to love both him and another and potentially more: he truly believes in polyamory. The other loved man, however, can only cope with monogamy.

Even more so now – because Walker, Enayat and playwright Coleman ensure we can empathise with their characters, even as we wrestle with their points of view – anyone who has liked, lusted or loved will relate. Sainsbury’s fluid staging and fluent pacing, abetted by Bekky Boyce’s technical operation, keep our thoughts and feelings fully engaged.

The other dimension to be enjoyed is the way Coleman’s Play plays with the relationships between the ‘reality’ of the lives we witness and their fictionalisation in Rich’s play. For all its playfulness it’s the truth at is heart that makes Play real.

[Note: Liam Coleman’s Play is not to be confused with Samuel Beckett’s Play.] 

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