Love and truth – arguably two of life’s most intricate subjects. Trying to express these in a realistic manner which an audience can relate to is even more complex.

Yet, surprisingly, this is what Jasper Bagg and his cast have managed to achieve in their unflinchingly honest adaptation of Patrick Marber’s CLOSER.

First performed in London in 1997, CLOSER has been received by audiences internationally to critical acclaim. Nominated for countless awards, its daring, edgy look into the complex web of human, heterosexual relationships has, and still does, leave audiences hypnotised.

The cast and crew of Avid Theatre have thrown themselves willingly into this multifaceted script, and have managed to successfully pull it off.

Kendal Rae, who plays the young, yet highly developed, Alice, was the stand out performer. Her ability to adapt to such a naked character, whom often experienced anguishing, raw emotion, was true and real. She gave Alice a blunt, fearless exterior with ever emerging layers of unspoken softness and gentle naivety.

The extensive theatre experience of director, Jasper Bagg, was clearly evident throughout. Innovative uses of space to dictate time lapses, but more importantly character interconnectedness, plus combined, rolling scenes which highlighted the carnival of human emotion, added an exciting dimension which guaranteed the audiences undivided attention.

For a relatively inexperienced performer, Michael Fenemore-Cocks’ portrayal of Larry was exact, providing the comedic relief for the evening with his quirky arrogance. But it was his ability to develop a relationship with the audience through adopting true dimension and attention to detail, which left a lasting impression.