Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons

by Sam Steiner

A review and comparison of reading a script and watching a play.

by Alice Lewis

Like many plays I have read, if I were to make an alteration to this performance it would be the ending as I felt it was rather unsatisfactory in both my read and watched experience. While having a mixed timeline throughout the plot, I felt the piece ended quite abruptly and passively.

My thoughts on the live performance

I thought that Jenna Coleman (Bernadette) and Aiden Turner (Oliver) did a fantastic job of rounding their characters and illustrating their differences, while still presenting their romantic connection. The lived experience of visiting a theatre helped to give the piece a real structure despite being a minimalistic and naturalistic production.

The comparison to reading a script and watching a play

Having engaged in both the text and live performance I would say they were two very different experiences. One of the biggest challenges when reading the script was the constant shift in time between short scenes. However, this was overcome by the use of lighting to mark the change in time. I found it far more challenging to create a world for my character from the words in my script in comparison to the physical and visual elements of a performance.

When reading a script, you have the freedom to interpret the characters and the story in your own way. One can imagine the characters and setting differently to how the playwright intended. I had imagined two much younger characters whose approach to relationships was not as mature as the director and actors’ interpretation of the script.

One of the biggest differences I felt was emotion. Watching the play was a much more emotional experience, the entire production must be watched to understand the story and unlike reading there are no points in which you can change the pace you read or which parts you may want to skip. The performance, music and visual effects elicited strong emotional responses from the audience which for me personally did not come across when reading the written words of the script.

Finally, ‘Lemons’ is written to be a romantic comedy therefore the audience participation I felt was key to add to my enjoyment. Reading a script is a solitary experience which does not involve any interactions with others, ultimately making it less entertaining.

Reflection

Overall, I thought the play was a thought provoking exploration of the power dynamics inherent in language and the importance of free expression in a democratic society. Speech is integral to a functioning society and without it, many things wouldn’t exist such as interviews, protests and songs with lyrics. Its unique concept, strong performances, thought-provoking themes, and engaging writing make it a compelling piece of theatre.