Obsession and fear in ordinary lives

This Is Always The Result will be presented at Kino-Teatr in St Leonards from 7.30pm this evening, with two stories written and performed by Gus Watcham.

In The Crush Kathy tells of her secret longing for her former art school tutor. He hardly knows that she exists, but the power of this embarrassing obsession has laid waste to her life. Now ageing and lonely, she addresses him through poems of love and loss, spoken into a Dictaphone. As she records, rewinds and replays, she calls up memories of anguish and absurdity, as well as moments of pure joy.

In This Is Always The Result, Sarah’s ordinary life in an English seaside town is rocked by her son’s breakdown and suicide attempt. Meanwhile she accidentally stumbles on an internet image, shot on a mobile, of a young suicide bomber. In her imagination she reaches out to that other boy’s mum, thinking of what they have in common, and how her own safe world will never be the same again.

The two plays are directed by Mark C Hewitt, with a film sequence by Abigail Norris. Tickets £14 (£12 concessions), book at kino-teatr.co.uk

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