Abandon

'Abandon,' performed in Rehearsal Room 2 at the Lyric Hammersmith is a new play, or more accurately series of episodes,especially devised for the Lyric Ensemble and this space. The Lyric Ensemble is a group of fifteen young actors working and training together two nights a week with international director Anne- Louise Sparks, Nicholai La Barrie the Lyric’s director of Young People and Sean Holmes the artistic director.

The hour comprises a number of intimate glimpses into the day to day lives of these fifteen young Londoners - their hopes and aspirations, their problems and their disappointments. They are a very disparate group but mutually supportive and sympathetic. There are comic moments - the embarrassing periods sketch and the misunderstanding of the meaning of caucasian - and moments of quiet pathos but whether these combine to make a play about “holding on and letting go “ is questionable.

On entering the studio we were all given a glass of water the reason for which became apparent after a few minutes - it is extremely hot inside and not therefore for the fainthearted. Heat aside, the performances were without exception compelling and heartfelt painting an entertaining picture of the dreams and the reality of young London wannabe actors.