The HIV Monologues at the Ace Hotel
It is immediate as soon as actor Denholm Spurr as Alex starts his monologue that the sensitivity of this piece is true. Superbly handled by four actors, they tell a story written by Patrick Cash that comes full circle when a technique of overlapping dialogue is put to excellent use.
The actors emerge from the darkness of the audience and immerse themselves in their respective roles. Charly Flyte as Nurse Irene is exceptional and performs her role that is emotionally intense as her character deals with inner turmoil caused by her Catholic faith and her commitment to nursing an HIV patient.
Both Jonathan Blake as Barney and Kane Surry as Nick, Alex’s lover, are totally in the zone and give passionate renderings of their stories with a very careful balance found between comedy and tragedy.
Luke Davies’ direction is simple and this, linked to the lighting design by Liam Mercer, creates an air of eeriness and forces the audience to concentrate as if they were watching an episode of Mastermind. This play will tug at your heartstrings and rightly so because this is powerful stuff.
*****
The HIV Monologues runs until Sunday 19 February at Miranda London, the Ace Hotel, 100 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JQ. To book tickets, visit dragonfliestheatre.co.uk/hiv-monologues
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