The Lover: intimate thoughts provoked

After being whisked away from Max's Deli & Bakery the audience found themselves in a regular apartment in a regular neighbourhood about a block away. We all sat down, with our backs to a wall looking into the living room and then quietly watched as this husband and wife let us enter into their non-regular world.

In this site-specific take on Harold Pinter's The Lover, the performances by Katarzyna Stodulkiewicz and Ryan Swanson are done well. As the wife, Stodulkiewicz was the spice to this dish and while Swanson's character was compelling there were, for my taste, moments where he was a bit monotone. The subtle climb of intensity from start to finish kept the audience focused as well as the intimate environment and, of course, the subject matter.

I liked being drawn into the couple's world and I was interested in their story and how they would resolve the issue at hand. The great thing about the experience was after leaving there were many ideas, questions and thoughts that came to mind about the whole subject of voyuerism and the nature of commited relationships.  

I think it would be a great show for couples who have been together a life time or for those who are just starting out and  to see a “what if” scenrario.  I am sure a long and interesting conversation between lovers could either be stimulating, thought-provoking or down right troublesome (depending on your temperment) afterwards.

The Lover is part of this year's Vancouver Fringe. For more information try looking for love here.