Park Bench (Act Two) ★★★ Park Theatre | August 4 - 14, 2021


Park Bench is certainly a fascinating, original and innovative concept. Acts one and two not only taking place on different days, but one is streamed and the other played live in a theatre. We begin with a Zoom call between Liv and Theo, a young couple whose relationship broke up a year ago. After a chat lasting around fifteen minutes they agree to meet face to face at a favourite park bench. We now move to the theatre for their reunion. Much of the dialogue in Tori Allen-Martin's script has a very naturalistic feel to it which she as Liv and Tim Bowie as Theo deliver with realistic charm. Act two lasts a little under an hour and quite a lot of the time is spent on inconsequential chat about how they coped with lockdown. Would Theo really have watched The Crown and consider Meghan Markle "well fit"? It left us with the impression that Allen-Martin writes better for a female protagonist. The characters wander around a set that simply comprises a bench in a park. They chat, argue and come close to making up with the help of a favourite song, but finally, with no real resolution being reached, they simply gaze yearningly into the distance as the lights fade. No less than three directors were involved, Christa Harris (Act one), Sarah Henley and Timothy O'Hara (Act two), but do too many cooks spoil the broth? Not every play needs a beginning, middle and end, but here we felt that we just had the middle and were left wondering what happened next.

Rated: ★★★

Reviewed by D.S.J.
Photo by Mark Douet.

Want to save on tickets? See our Tips page.

When, Where, Getting there:

Most Popular

St. Martin in-the-fields: Lunchtime Concerts ★★★★ FREE

Good Night, Oscar ★★★★ Barbican Centre | Jul 31 - Sep 21, 2025

The Daughter of Time ★★★ Charing CrossTheatre | Jul 18 - Sep 13, 2025

Brigadoon ★★★★ Regent's Park Open Air Theatre | Aug 2 - Sep 20, 2025

Every Brilliant Thing (with Lenny Henry) ★★★ @sohoplace | Aug 1 - Nov 8, 2025

Saving Mozart ★★ The Other Palace | Jul 28 - Aug 30, 2025

Rambert Dance in Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby ★★★ Sadler's Wells Theatre | August 5 - 16, 2025

The Diana Mixtape ★★★ HERE at Outernet | Jul 28 - Aug 10, 2025

A Role To Die For ★★★★ Marylebone Theatre | Jul 26 - Aug 30, 2025

Inter Alia ★★★★★ National Theatre | Jul 10 - Sep 13, 2025

The City Life Magazine | Reviews & Ratings