The name – The Power of Love – is suggestive of some kind of gloomy treatise on modern relationships; a passionate love affair with undertones of physical abuse and manipulation. After all it is the title of a Celine Dion song. I got myself a large glass of wine in preparation for what was sure to be a harrowing but meaningful experience. So I was completely surprised to find myself watching a witty sci-fi thriller with more plot twists than a Dan Brown novel.

Set in an undeterminable time in the future, The Power of Love is about Isobel (Anna Winslet) and Matt (Christoph Dostal), a married couple living in isolation on the coast. At first they could be any couple slightly tired of each other’s company. But we soon learn that there is more going on here than just a stale relationship. Isobel feels too much and Matt doesn’t feel anything at all.

We discover that Matt’s lack of emotion is the result of some kind of accident, resulting in the need for mysterious regular medical check-ups involving sparkly red clipboard squares and a strange blue jelly like tube. And so a science tampering with nature mystery slowly unravels as good as any sci-fi you will see on the big screen.

Winslet gives a commendable performance as a woman desperately trying to maintain a normal loving relationship in a situation that turns out to be far from normal.

Dorstal has a wonderful precision of movement which is surely due to his background in dancing. He also has the difficult job of playing the unemotional Matt. The problem with playing a wooden character is that you are danger of coming across as, well, wooden. But he makes up for it as the plot unravels and ‘unemotional as comedic device’ turns to ‘unemotional and just plain scary’. With his dark hair and cold yet curious expression, there is something very Sylaresque about him as fans of Heroes will appreciate.

I enjoyed the comedy of the script but felt the actors’ timing was sometimes off. It also seemed strange that for a guy who doesn’t feel emotion, Dorstal seems to get pretty frustrated and suspicious in places. But perhaps this is needed to progress the narrative and to give Winslet something to work off, and indeed there are some fiery scenes between them.

The set for this future world is like something out of a 60’s sci-fi movie. There are a lot of geometric shapes and white fabric walls. I’m reminded of 2001 or Barbarella. The costumes are all wonderfully b-grade movie futuristic with geometric silver coats and padded high collars. There’s even a sexy Eastern Bloc scientist with knee length, high heel white boots. In fact it’s all a bit Eurotrash fantastic, which is not surprising given the director began his theatrical career in Estonia.*

The Power of Love is a fun night out with a genre that most people are used to seeing on the screen rather than the stage. It made for a refreshing change in the sometimes over earnest world of fringe theatre. I recommend it to any fans of sci-fi or b-grade kitsch.

*[The writer, Tony Williams, is a Kiwi – hence Theatreview’s interest – ED]

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