The latest Make Mine a Double (double bill) at Park Theatre is a two-hander of two-person plays: Cold Walter (a play about wanting things so much you can’t do anything about them) and Sniff (an ode to the forgotten).
Cold Water
★★★★☆
Cold Water, written and directed by Philippa Lawford, is an insightful new production that weaves together extracts from Chekhov’s The Seagull. Set against the backdrop of longing, regret, and the tumultuous transition from university to the real world, this play delves into the depths of desire and the complexities of human ambition.
Emma (played by Julia Pilkington), a young woman who dreams of becoming an actor, returns to her parents’ home in Hertfordshire after university. She lands a job as a teaching assistant in the Drama department at her old secondary school. There, she finds herself spending more and more time in the studio with Matt (played by Jolyon Coy), her boss. A seasoned stage actor turned full-time teacher, Matt teeters on the edge of adulthood, grappling with impending fatherhood. He decides to impart his knowledge to Emma, and their friendship begins to transform both their lives.
Cold Water delves into the relentless yearning for something just out of reach. Emma and Matt’s intimate friendship serves as a lens through which the play explores ambition, self-discovery, and the driving forces behind our desires.
“What do you want?” is written on Matt’s whiteboard. He uses the pervasive question as a lesson on naturalism in theatre, but the question also lingers over Matt and Emma. Do they want each other? Career fulfillment? Does Matt want fatherhood and conventionality? What do they want? They both wanted acting careers, and it’s not too late for Emma. But when she’s handed a golden opportunity, she fails to pursue it, seemingly also destroying a second chance at success for Matt, who now won’t be able to vicariously live through her.
Presented as part of the Make Mine a Double program, Cold Water shares the stage with Sniff, another compelling production. In Sniff, two strangers meet in a nondescript pub toilet—one struggling with addiction and financial woes, the other cloaked in corporate pride.
As the door locks and time ticks away, a dark connection emerges. Philippa Lawford, drawing from her experiences growing up in Harpenden, describes Cold Water as a love story—albeit not a very successful one. The play adapts extracts from Chekhov’s The Seagull, weaving parallel narratives of infatuation, longing, self-hatred, and fear.
Sniff
★★★★★
Sniff is a one-act play written by Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson and directed by Ben Purkiss. Set in the men’s toilets of a small-town pub, it cleverly juxtaposes the vastly different worlds of two strangers: Alex (played by Felix Grainger), an advertising professional about to propose to his girlfriend, and Liam (played by Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson), a seemingly confident man struggling with addiction and money troubles.
Beneath their surface personas, both characters harbor secrets and complexities that unfold throughout the play.
The contrasting lives of Alex and Liam provide ample material for both comedy and drama. Alex, with his glittering career, is burdened by guilt over nepotism. Liam, on the other hand, exudes bravado but hides a tortured loneliness fueled by gambling addiction.
As the play progresses, the audience is kept on their toes, shifting between laughter and sobering moments as harsh realities are exposed.Sniff explores themes of toxic masculinity, addiction, and the impact of small-town life near the bustling hub of London. The setting—a grim, partly broken toilet in the local pub—mirrors the messy lives of the characters.
Despite their differences, the play reveals unexpected connections between Alex and Liam, challenging initial assumptions.
Sniff offers dark humor, thought-provoking moments, and stellar performances. Fogarty-Graveson’s writing channels the wry humor of Peep Show but reveals itself to be darker and more profound.
This show was laugh-out-loud funny but also somber and critical. The delicate balance was navigated brilliantly.
On a more personal note, some unintentional Easter eggs tenuously connected me and my +1 to references made in the script. Liam disdained the price of a pint of Carling at King’s Cross. My +1 works at the pub in question and snickered in agreement. Another reference was made to the passage of time, describing England’s loss to Italy in penalties in 2012. I was at that game! I mused about being in a North London theatre 12 years later and hearing that long-ago day mentioned.
Sniff is a refreshing addition to new writing, leaving audiences both entertained and reflective.
Photo: Cold Water by Jake Bush
JADAR 