Page 269 - Guildhall Coverage Book 2020-21

1 May 2021

LOVE AND INFORMATION (Silk Street Theatre/Guildhall
School of Music and Drama)***

By Dave

Link: https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/summer_2021/love_and_information

Available until: Livestreams on Saturday 1 May at 7.30pm.
st
Love and Information seemed like a bit of an odd title when I first heard about it but after watching the
show, I think it not only describes the show perfectly, it’s a pretty good description of life too.

Of course life isn’t just about love and information but it does play a much bigger role than I realised.
We go through life sharing information with other people. Sometimes they want the information,
sometimes they don’t. Sometimes you tell them too little and sometimes you tell them too much.
Sometimes they understand what you’re saying and sometimes they don’t. We give the information in
whatever way seems like the right way and the reaction we get very often does depend on love,
whether that’s how much they love us or how much they love whoever or whatever we’re talking
about.

Love and Information doesn’t really have a plot. It’s a whole succession of short scenes, all with
different characters. There are over 100 characters altogether and they’re all played by nine cast
members, who in this case are all students at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Unlike most
of the Guildhall plays, this one is presented as a livestream.

It’s a great challenge for an actor as they have so many different characters to play. So many different
stories to tell. Unlike in most plays, there’s no time for character development, you have to grab your
audience instantly and make them care because if you can’t, it’ll be too late. I won’t go through all the
stories because I can’t remember them all but they cover an incredible range of subjects.

There is romance, crime, drama and philosophy. There are sad scenes, like the patient who has been
given bad news by their doctor, and worrying scenes, like a baby who might be unwell and the
parents’ differing reactions. There are scenes involving apparently random conversations, like one
about light years and a PA taking dictation. There are situations that seem completely crazy, like the
elephant on the stairs. There are challenging concepts, like how to explain pain to someone who
doesn’t understand what it is.

Rosa Maggiora has designed a very interesting set. Some of the stage is clear, some is taken up with
an arrangement of doorways. Director Pooja Ghai uses the doorways in different ways, both as actual
doorways when needed (for example when two characters hide in a house while another is outside)
and as a way of dividing the stage into different sized sections. If a scene seems to require a small
space, it can be put in a small space. Diane Alison-Mitchell’s movement direction allows them to use
the space in varied ways.

The use of props is also very clever – Pooja gives us exactly what is needed and no more. The PA
taking dictation has a computer keyboard which is enough to show what she’s doing but there’s no
need for a desk and a monitor which would be difficult to take on and offstage. We can assume the