Theatrius
  • Now Playing
  • All Reviews
  • Writers
  • Reflections
  • Millennial Notes
  • Join Us
  • About Us
  • Search Icon

Theatrius

Theater Reviews—San Francisco and Beyond

“Sea Wall”: A Gorgeously Human Solo Play—Streaming Andrew Scott

“Sea Wall”: A Gorgeously Human Solo Play—Streaming Andrew Scott

June 28, 2020 Jennifer Charron

Simon Stephens Invokes Delicacy in Harsh Times

by Jennifer Ann Charron

It’s hard these days not to view everything through the lens of 2020—global warming, worldwide pandemic, systemic racial injustice, millions sick or dead, 100-degree temperatures in Siberia. Everything seems so big, so overwhelming, so “HUGE.” I’ve grown exhausted using words like dystopian, monumental, epic, annihilating…I long for sensitivity.

While it doesn’t seem like we can escape the immensity of the moment, I have discovered a 30-minute reprieve—a delicate glimpse of humanity at its best and worst. “Sea Wall” by Simon Stephens is a masterful intimate monologue, now on video, performed by his friend, superb actor Andrew Scott.

Originally performed on stage in 2008 in the UK, Stephens and Scott collaborate to make this beautiful short film in 2011, shot on a single camera in a bright loft studio, with Scott in jeans and dark polo shirt.

“Sea Wall” returns us to a delicate vulnerability that I’ve been missing in these “larger than life” times. Scott plays Alex, an unassuming young Irishman, here to tell us his story. He speaks simply and personally through the camera to us. With no stage design to distract our attention or costumes to suggest narrative, we find ourselves alone with Alex in a photographer’s studio. We listen with awe to his intimate story of wonder and devastation.

Andrew Scott (Alex) in “Sea Wall”

Alex lovingly describes his beautiful life with his wife Helen and their enchanting young daughter Lucy. Lucy is beyond the love of his life. Alex begins, “She had us … both of us, absolutely round her finger.”

Playwright Stephens’ script is breathtaking. Using simple, conversational style, he makes stunning, crystal clear analogies. Alex describes “a hole in his stomach,” as Scott slowly and methodically draws a circle around his midsection. His modest conversation imparts a sense of innocence, yet elegance. We are instantly plucked from the abstract horrors of 2020 by Alex’s ease and candor.

It’s hard to decipher whether Stephens’ words or Andrew Scott’s delivery that steals the show. Scott is mesmerizing and his boyish charm is hypnotic. He emotes with every part of his body and draws us in with every glance. His acting is so smooth and disarming, it’s like watching a hummingbird.

I am not alone in my praise for Andrew Scott. Since this filming, Scott has sprinted to stardom in such iconic roles as Moriarty in Sherlock, and “the hot priest” in Season Two of Fleabag, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination.

Every year, the family visits Andrew, Helen’s father, for a holiday in the south of France. Alex describes former army officer Andrew as strong and sensitive. Alex is captivated by Andrew’s complexities and thoughtful nature. Together they discuss life’s mysteries with tender disagreements, yet Alex is completely beguiled by his father-in-law.

One summer, Andrew takes the family to the beach and shows Alex the sea wall. With sheer innocence, Alex marvels how the earth below your feet can just drop away into oblivion. We pause at the exactitude of the statement, changing the moment from marvelous revelation to a harbinger of tragedy.

As Alex’s story unfolds, we hold our breath, knowing that their perfect life cannot last, that mortality must intervene. When it does, we are left with wonder, seen through the lens of a devastating accident that transforms their lives.

Arm yourself with Kleenex and take a half hour to watch this beautiful solo play on Vimeo. “Sea Wall” may not change our crazy world, but it will restore a simple sense of familiar humanity lost in today’s enormity.

 

“Sea Wall” by Simon Stephens, directed by Simon Stephens & Andrew Scott—Streaming at: AndrewScott

Cast: Andrew Scott


on-line, Plays, solo shows
children, Family, friendship, Identity, love, marriage, mortality, social class, Wealth, wit

Post navigation

NEXT
“PRIDE: Frank Kameny, Eyes on the Stars” Cures Gay Curse—Streaming Rhino
PREVIOUS
>> Streaming Theater >> Plays at Home: June 25
Comments are closed.

Menu

  • Now Playing
  • All Reviews
  • Writers
  • Reflections
  • Millennial Notes
  • Join Us
  • About Us

BLM

Black Lives Matter

Subscribe for upcoming reviews!
Loading

Current Shows

  • “ELF, The Musical”: A Rollicking Christmas Adventure—at Los Altos
  • “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” Casts a Spell—at TheatreWorks
  • “Lion King”: A Spectacular Safari into African Legend —at BroadwaySF
  • “Dragon Lady” Triumphs with Talent, Stories, Songs—at Marin
  • “East 14th: True Tales of a Reluctant Player”—at The Marsh, Berkeley
  • “Guys and Dolls” Shows Love Is a Gamble, Takes the Risk—at S.F. Playhouse
  • “Harry Clarke”: A Cocksure Character Invades Privileged Places—at Berkeley Rep
  • “Group Therapy”: Hilarious Gay Club for Almost-40s—at Rhino
  • “1984” Reveals Torture Room We Inhabit Now–at Aurora
  • Interview with “Mame” on 42nd Street Moon Show
  • “Citizen” Unfolds Worker’s Awakening to U.S. Cruelty—at Word4Word
  • “The Legend of Georgia McBride”: Sass & Sentiment—at Center REP
  • “Hedwig & The Angry Inch” Highlights Betrayal, Redemption—at Shotgun
  • “Mame” Showcases Musical Memories, Found Families—at 42nd St. Moon  
  • “we are continuous”: Brilliant, Heroic, Comic Coming Out—at NCTC

About us:

If you want to see the best plays & performances around the San Francisco Bay or beyond, read our reviews. We promise to give you a true report on the best shows.
Bay Area Critics Circle

Barry David Horwitz, Editor of Theatrius, is a Voting Member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle, SFBATCC. Follow us on: facebook.com

© 2023   All Rights Reserved.