Review: Swimming

Hey readers!

It's time for my review of Swimming. 

"Envious of his best mate's care-free life and wild nights out, Dan suddenly splits up from his long -term girlfriend. Unexpectedly, he soon falls head over heels for Sam after a chance meeting at the pool. But for reasons he cannot explain or admit to himself, Dan keeps their new relationship a secret. Over the hot summer months, as they fall deeper in love and the truth comes out, Dan is forced to confront his prejudices and fears and ask if he must choose a lane in life."

Swimming explores the complexities of an identity crisis, focusing in on a man unsure of his place in the world and unable to place a label on himself. Alex Bower's writing does well to convey this sense of crisis, and the narrative feels very realistic. It was easy to imagine this being a true scenario, meaning that the play serves as an authentic depiction of what it's like to endure an identity crisis. Beyond this, there were some intriguing themes that were explored throughout the course of Swimming. Subject matters include masculinity in the modern day, career uncertainty, and the nature of commitment and choice. In its short run-time, the play covers a lot of ground, but does so effectively. These themes are universal, and it is highly likely that many audience members could sympathise with at least one of the obstacles suffered by the main characters. In addition to that, the dialogue itself was also excellent. The conversations that take place are all very engrossing, making it easy to immerse yourself in the story. As previously mentioned, it is easy to imagine these very same discussions taking place in real life, so I greatly admired the realism.

The cast were all very convincing in their respective roles, and there wasn't a weak link among them. In the leading role of Dan is George Jones, who was particularly skilled at portraying the internal conflicts endured by the main character. Dan is an extremely complex figure, and this was clear through Jones's portrayal. It's interesting to note that, even though the character is deeply flawed, you can't help but be drawn to him. A special mention must also be awarded to Andy Sellers as Ant, who was equally as remarkable. Sellers's characterisation was rather endearing and, even though Ant is similarly flawed, he was easy to sympathise with. By the end of the play, it was Ant I felt most sorry for, which is in part due to Sellers' outstanding portrayal.

Now for my final verdict on Swimming. I give Swimming...

Swimming is an engaging piece of writing, and one which had me invested from beginning to end. The acting is also marvellous, meaning that it's an all-round excellent piece of theatre.

Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Basic Theatre Reviewer