You Obviously Know What I'm Talking About

115270 original

There’s much to like in this whimsical play about loneliness and isolation. The set, for starters, is another character in itself: it’s a loving re-creation of a cramped bedsit, complete with a boiling kettle, a running tap, and an arresting mosaic of photos adorning the wall above the bed. In this wacky space lives Winfield Scott-Boring, a sweet but isolated man who hasn’t left his flat for several years and is dedicated to the rigid schedule he’s created for himself. But one day, he gets out of bed on the wrong side and sod’s law dictates that everything goes wrong. And when a beautiful neighbour asks for help, he begins to reconsider an existence outside his flat once again.

Winfield barely speaks a word, but he’s brilliantly played with understated sweetness by Richard Kiess. Most of the action is related by three quirky narrators who pop out through the set’s various doors and windows. Again, they’re adroit performers but the characters grate after a while and although the play has the right elements and sets an attractive, playful tone, the plot itself lacks substance and the pace flags towards the end.

You Obviously Know What I'm Talking About is written by Teresa Burns and Eva Sampson, who brought us the likeable Waterproof last year. Like that play, this new one shows real promise, but it needs a stronger plot to match its distinctive style. Still, it’s a lovely piece that reminds us how important it is to connect with the world around us.