#james fritz

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Play Review: THE FALL by James Fritz

I was very excited to read this play as I absolutely loved ROSS & RACHEL and FOUR MINUTES TWELVE SECONDS which are other plays by Fritz.

THE FALL was written for the 60th Anniversary Season of the National Youth Theatre (NYT) in 2016. This play is split into 3 parts in which 10 characters are spread across. Overall, the play portrays the three stages of life: Youth, Middle Age and Old Age. Each part also involves a fall which completely alters the lives of the characters and forces them to make extremely difficult choices…

FIRST: This part involves two people: BOY and GIRL. GIRL looks after an elderly ex-lawyer names Mr.Butler and has a key to access his penthouse while he is away for the weekend. GIRL takes BOY to the house to show off it’s opulent decor. The pair are clearly in a teenage romance. However, everything flips when BOY finds Mr. Butler naked on the floor of his bathroom. The kids are now faced with a choice. They can either help Mr. Butler or leave him. BOY has made it plain throughout that he is disgusted by all aspects of old age and immediately wants to abandon the man. GIRL however, wants to help him initially. They assume he’s dead and almost call an ambulance when he appears to start breathing again. Yet GIRL hesitates when she realises that they’ll both get into trouble for being in his house and using his things when she was only meant to be there herself to water his plants. This leads to a discussion about the fate of Mr. Butler, and whether or not he was truly worth saving.

“No one’s supposed to live that long. I’ve been coming round here for weeks. He gets up. Sits in his chair. Eats. Goes to bed. That’s his day. Sometimes he makes it to the toilet. Sometimes he doesn’t. And he always looks. Tired. … Tell me what the point of all that is?” - GIRL (Pg 25)

Ultimately BOY and GIRL swap stances on the matter. BOY starts to feel guilty about abandoning the man, whilst GIRL’s concluded that his life is pointless and he deserves to die peacefully and with dignity. So the two pick up Mr. Butler and put him in bed, then wait for him to die. GIRL keeps reassuring him that it’s okay, but perhaps she is also telling herself this as her conscience is reminding her that she’s letting a man die.

SECOND: This part is set years later and portrays the lives of ONE and TWO. It begins with TWO being introduced to ONE’s mum, Jean. It then - through dialogue alone - depicts their journey as a married couple. They have a son called Liam and many challenges they try and fail to overcome. The rent rises. The job interviews get rejected. The income decreases. Then Jean has a fall. Jean breaks her hip and never fully recovers. ONE quits working to care for his mum. This makes paying the rent almost impossible. They can’t afford to put Jean into care and still the rent rises. ONE and TWO are around 46 years old when they receive an eviction notice for their flat. The only source of hope they have left is the flat belonging to Jean. She had spent her life paying off that flat so there would be no fear of rent or mortgage. Jean seems to be the only obstacle.

This part of the play reflects how quickly a bump can appear in the road of life. The short, sporadic style of dialogue contrasts with the flowing, conversational tone of the FIRST part. This represents how adulthood comes with a faster pace where work is so constant that there is rarely any time to reflect deeply on journeys and self-development. It also depicts how the problems grow. The biggest problem BOY and GIRL had before encountering Mr.Butler was where they could secretly have sex. The biggest problems for ONE and TWO are that their rent is unaffordable and they can’t financially care for both Liam and Jean.

It is only once Jean dies in her sleep that ONE and TWO feel they may be able to survive in this seemingly merciless world that’s like an economic black hole. On the contrary, even after her death a problem arises with regards to her body. The police are reluctant to release Jean’s body after detecting a mark under her nose that suggests suffocation. It is eventually revealed that TWO assisted Jean in killing herself as she strongly believed that her family would live better once she passed on. Jean kept ONE in the dark about this matter because she knew her child would never be able to understand or accept this. With Jean gone, her flat becomes the property of ONE and TWO. Yet as ONE mulls over the situation, he remembers that the day before her death, Jean asked to borrow a book from him. But TWO had told ONE that Jean was planning her suicide a week prior. If this were true, it did not make sense that Jean would want to begin a book on the day she planned to kill herself. TWO desperately defends herself:

“This flat. Her flat. We’ve got nothing else. It’s a life raft. I loved her. She was a good woman. She had a good life. But we couldn’t afford. This had to happen. For Liam.  … He’s what’s important. Not us. Not your mum. I had no choice. She asked me to do it. I need you to believe that. For all our sakes. Do you believe that? She asked me to do it.” - TWO (Pg 47-48)

This part ends with ONE replying, “She asked you to do it”. ONE never states that they actually believe TWO though. The truth of it all is left unclear and up to the reader/audience’s interpretation. Personally, TWO was so uncontrollably desperate to protect her son from poverty, that in a state of madness she smothered her mother-in-law. I would love to see a sequel to this where ONE can never quite accept that Jean asked to die and gradually his love for TWO diminishes and warps into hatred as he becomes convinced that it was murder. This part leaves you with so much to think about, such as does the end justify the means? Does a person’s age truly define their importance? Should you help someone commit suicide (especially when you know how much it can hurt the people you love)?

THIRD: The final part of what is quite a tragic trilogy and once again set years later from the previous part. This focuses on four people forced to live in a room designed at first for just two people. It’s four residents are A, B, C and D. We learn that they are all in their eighties and are poorly looked after by LIAISON. A liaison is - according to Google Dictionary - ‘a communication or cooperation which facilitates a close working relationship between people or organisations’. In the context of the play his/her relationship is between the elderly and an organisation that assists them with suicide. All they need to do is sign a form and confirm with LIAISON that they can proceed, and then they are given drugs that take their lives. Interestingly, LIAISON constantly talks in block capitals, which creates an extremely loud and aggressive tone which suggests he/she is no friend to the elderly and has no patience with them. Furthermore, when A first moves into the room, LIAISON initially remarks on the fact that A had suffered from a fall, and then reminded A of the procedure for signing what I’m going to refer to as the Suicide Form.

These four people live in a room with a ceiling that leaks and broken internet. The damp ceiling is a parallel to ONE and TWO’s damp flat that they were renting, which reminds us that some problems can occur at any age. The broken internet is symbolic of their isolation from the world. Plus, the fact that a man called Phil is supposed to come and fix the internet but never does, suggests that the elderly are deliberately being isolated. This part also harks back to the theme of money. A theme which is only absent in the FIRST part, which shows that in youth, money is not recognised as such a major tool for building success, security and sometimes even happiness.

In addition to this, there are many parallels between these characters and the characters we’ve met previously. Arguably, this could mean that these characters are aged versions of BOY, GIRL, ONE and TWO. Here is a list of the main parallels:

1)  A states that they had a wife and son. ONE also had a wife and son. Both have also inherited a house from their mums.

2)  BOY, ONE, and A are or were involved in running. Both ONE and A ran for their country. A now has bad knees because of the running which shows how the past affects the future.

3)  BOY sings a song in full. C tries to sing a song and forgets the words partway through. It is not described in the stage directions as being the same song or even a specific song at all. Therefore, both songs could be the one same song which would add a sense of irony whilst also showing a link between generations.

4) BOY claims that he will kill himself if he gets too old and that is what C does in the end.

If we are to view these four characters as being older versions of the previous characters, it certainly makes the situation ironic as BOY who was once so disgusted by old age has become an old man himself. It’s also ironic that a group of characters who collectively looked down on old people to the extent that they deemed them as nothing more than a financial burden with no purpose in life, have all become elderly themselves and are now receiving that same treatment from their own children and grandchildren.

Side note: I believe the character titles are representative of their relevance to society. In FIRST, they’re recognised as a boy and girl. In SECOND they are seen as numbers; one couple. Then in THIRD they’re only letters that are alone.

Moving on from this, it’s suggested that LIAISON is doing everything in his/her power to persuade these old people to sign the Suicide Form. LIAISON allows them to live in a room with a broken bed, no internet and a bad ceiling, whilst constantly reminding them that the Suicide Form is always available to them. It’s cruelty and abusive. A, B, C and D are all battling with loneliness throughout this treatment. C misses their children who never visit. This consequently makes C feel like nothing more than a problem in need of erasure.

“People like me taking up resources. … My kids didn’t fight me on it. … One of them even drove me here.” - C (Pg 62)

D on the other hand is certain that his/her nephew, Jo who lives in America will come and rescue him/her from this place. However, when the institution contacts Jo, he does not choose to help his Uncle. Unable to accept this, and in a fragile mental state, D unintentionally gets manipulated into singing the Suicide Form and is forced to pass on.

Meanwhile, A and B fall in love and start to share a bed. LIAISON states that this activity is unhygienic and that they are forbidden to share beds. This implies that love is not permitted in old age (only death is). In the end B is saved by her family who come into some unexpected fortune and A signs the Suicide Form. In his last speech he says a line that I believe sums up the whole play:

“run don’t fall keep running I am so fast I am so fast it’s almost over I’ve almost done it it’s here already and I dip for the line and” - A (Pg 77)

No I haven’t just cut off the quote, that’s genuinely where the play ends. And what a thought-provoking play it was! The final lines of the play I believe use running as a metaphor for life. Life is like a race. Except when you reach the finish line, your trophy seems to be your death. Many people want to achieve as much as possible as quickly as possible without considering any repercussions. Similarly a runner may focus so heavily on moving fast that they don’t consider the damage it may do to their knees in the future. Everyone tries to be the best. We only care about the athletes at the front, we seldom stop and turn to help those struggling to even walk. They are the ‘losers’ in life. But what is the point in this divisive and selfish mindset, when everyone who runs this race dies at the end despite their rank? That’s what I think THE FALL is trying to tell us. As a society, we view old people as weak and worthless despite the fact that we are all inevitably going to become one. Therefore, as a community, we need to value one another properly. If an old man or woman is lonely, we should give them company instead of pity. We should also not determine a person’s worth by how much it costs to keep them alive. Furthermore, we should never make anyone believe that they have nothing worth living for. GIRL did not have the authority to decide that Mr. Butler deserved to die after his fall. TWO should not have seen Jean’s flat to be more valuable than Jean herself. A, B, C and D shouldn’t have been subject to emotional abuse and neglect from their family.

If life is a race, then it’s a relay that requires all generations to collaborate and support one another. A family should be a team that loves both it’s fastest and slowest runners.

[fuckyeahgreatplays]

I want to strike up a friendship with a sassy nurse who says something sassy at precisely the right moment to break the tension. I want there to be a mishap with my hospital gown that leaves me stranded naked in the corridor having to use a fire extinguisher to cover my genitals. I want to look in the bed next to me and oh my god it’s my high school football coach who yells my last name and says get down and give me twenty. I want her to put down her magazine and to take my hand and give me the speech that I hope she’s going to give me when tells me that she loves me and that we make the perfect team and we’ll face this together and that our strength as a couple is more than a match for what’s going on inside my body. Wouldn’t everybody love that?

Ross & Rachel

[freddie-221b]

What is Start Swimming even about?

[qnewsau]

New Theatre and Mardi Gras to stage Australian premiere of acclaimed queer play

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/new-theatre-and-mardi-gras-to-stage-australian-premiere-of-acclaimed-queer-play/

New Theatre and Mardi Gras to stage Australian premiere of acclaimed queer play

The Flea, a British play by James Fritz exploring the Cleveland Street scandal, will have its Australian debut at the New Theatre in Newtown next month.

Running from the 4th of February to the 8th of March 2025, the play will be presented in association with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

Set in 1880s London, the story follows Charlie Swinscow, a telegraph boy who gets arrested for theft. The young boy gets caught with 14 shillings in his pockets – which turns out to be payment for sexual favours sold to a nobleman at a secret gay brothel.

The scandal, which implicated the Crown and aristocracy, rocked the nation amidst rumours that Prince Albert Victor, the eldest son of the Prince of Wales and second in line to the British throne, was a patron of the brothel. Homosexuality was illegal in Britain at the time.

Patrick Kennedy, the director of The Flea, told QNews the production would explore the effects of discrimination and the necessity of secrecy around homosexual acts at the time.

“The play poignantly captures the emotional cost of concealment and the psychological toll of masking,” he said. “Nowhere is this more evident than in Charlie’s relationships, which are fraught with secrecy and vulnerability. His coerced involvement in exploitative systems further underscores the dehumanising consequences of being forced to navigate an inauthentic existence under the weight of societal oppression.”

Thematically, the play blends documentary and farce, aiming to restore the voices of the Swinscow family while examining power, sexuality, deception and disgrace.

“19 Cleveland Street, the male brothel at the heart of The Flea, epitomises the systemic exploitation of queer men within a society that simultaneously criminalised their very existence. The involvement of aristocrats and even members of the royal elite couple, with the silent complicity of law enforcement and politicians, lays bare the mechanisms of power designed to preserve privilege.

“These dynamics force individuals like Charlie and his peers into the margins, highlighting the intersection of oppression, hypocrisy and the calculated ‘invisibilisation’ of vulnerable communities.”

“The Flea” will be staged at the New Theatre in February and March. Image: AI composite/New Theatre.

The story of Charlie delves into the interconnected themes of oppression, judgement and identity, which resonate universally within the LGBTQIA+ community and maintain significant relevance in the present day.

According to Kennedy, “The production has been deliberately crafted as a multi-layered, off-kilter theatrical experience, blending raw authenticity with heightened surrealism.

“At its core, the events are presented through the reconstructed memory of Emily Swinscow, Charlie’s mother, anchoring her scenes in grounded, intimate realism. These moments are designed to resonate deeply with the audience, carrying a clear emotional authenticity that feels tangible and immediate,” he said.

“In The Flea, Emily Swinscow and Queen Victoria are brought to life by the same terrific actor (Sofie Divall), a bold theatrical choice that speaks volumes. Their shared embodiment onstage blurs the boundaries of power and vulnerability, forcing us to question where humanity lies within the machinery of oppression. It’s a theatrical masterstroke that’s as emotionally impactful as it is politically charged.”

Kennedy said Divall would embrace a heightened theatrical style, using exaggerated and cartoonish movements along with a unique vocal approach, making Emily’s memories more playful and chaotic. The style of performance is intended to intensify the satire of social and political themes within the play.

Previews of The Flea will be held on 4 and 5 February, with the official opening night scheduled for 7.30pm on Thursday 6 February. For tickets ($20 to $37) and further details, visit https://newtheatre.org.au/the-flea.

[frontmezzjunkies]

Studio 180's "Four Minutes Twelve Seconds" Ignites Tarragon Theatre's Extra Space

#frontmezzjunkies reviews: @stu180theatre's #FourMinutesTwelveSeconds by #JamesFritz d: #MarkMcGrinder w/ #MeganFollows #SergioDiZio #TavareeDanielSimms #JadynNasato #Studio180Theatre #TarragonTheatre @tarragontheatre's #ExtraSpace #TheaTO

Megan Follows and Sergio Di Zio in Studio 180 Theatre’s Four Minutes Twelve Seconds. Photo by Dahlia Katz. The Toronto Theatre Review: Studio 180’s Four Minutes Twelve Seconds By Ross The sharpness and pointedness of this new play, Four Minutes Twelve Seconds is signaled quickly within the first few minutes and unknown seconds when the first of many lies are told from one partner to another.…

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Studio 180 Toronto Announces Their New Season

#frontmezzjunkies reports: #Studio180Theatre in Toronto announces their 2023/24 Season including a #Canadian premiere of #FourMinutesTwelveSeconds by #JamesFritz & the #InDevelopmentReadingSeries plays: #DiscountDaveAndTheFix #DeathToThePrometheans

Studio 180 Theatre Announces 2023/24 SEASON Studio 180 Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, announced today its 2023/24 Season, which includes the Canadian premiere of the Olivier Award-nominated play Four Minutes Twelve Seconds by James Fritz (Parliament Square; The Flea) as its Mainstage production running at Tarragon Theatre from April 20 to May 12, 2024. The company’s popular Studio Series continues…

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[awesomeplayquotes]

I’m not ready for this it’s not fair I’m not ready for this it’s not fair I’m not ready for this it’s not fair I’m not ready for this it’s not fair I’m not ready for this it’s not fair I’m not ready for this it’s not fair I’m not ready for this it’s not fair I’m not ready for this it’s not fair I’m not ready for this it’s not fair I’m not ready for this it’s not fair.

The Fall, James Fritz