Water **** TNT


Water keeps people apart and brings them together in Filter theatre company’s pair of neatly interwoven stories which embrace the political as well as the personal and appear to overlap, momentarily, in a plush hotel.

In one, Phil (a cave driver, intent on breaking the current depth diving record in Mexico) has just broken up with his girlfriend, Claudia, an equally determined government official who is simultaneously attending a climate change conference.

Their once close relationship is concluded, long distance, via laptop as, separately and apart, they each pursue their individual goals.


In the other, two very different sons are brought together for the first time by the death of their English marine biologist father (who, decades earlier, left his depression, his wife and his son Graham behind in Norfolk for a new life, a new family and unexpected happiness in Canada).


Scenes move with liquid fluidity as the three performers plus on-stage sound-designer Tim Phillips visibly create all the sound effects from delicate spattering rain to treacherous subterranean descent.

Ferdy Roberts switches seamlessly between various roles including the deceased scientist
 and reclusive environmentalist Graham, Oliver Dimsdale is welcomingly genial as the latter's Canadian DJ half-brother (and angry as driven Phil), whilst Victoria Moseley’s pressured Claudia is forced, reluctantly, to accept that compromise is often the only option in David Farr’s short, fleet and unfussily inventive production.




Tricycle, Kilburn High Road, NW6 7JR Tube: Kilburn tricycle.co.uk (020 7328 1000) 
Until March 5 £12-£22