Misprint Theatre, based in Croydon, transfers its production of Possibilities to Balham’s N16 Theatre.

The production, written by and starring Jamal Chong with Kate Gwynn was originally produced at Theatre Utopia and it is the very simple story of a couple, looking back at scenes of their relationship and where it all went wrong. It’s short running time (one act of 45 minutes) means it cannot afford to get too complex (though I was unsure if this was a series of short scenes that were ‘Sliding Doors’ based or just a non-linear look at a relationship)

It is a poignant and charming piece and I hope Chong, who is already being proactive in what can be a difficult industry and running both the company and creating work, is a real talent. Despite its unoriginal premise there is something fresh and intriguing about this play simply because it will reasonate with a lot of people. The performances are really strong and Gwynn in particular is a real talent. She can find her character’s moods and pain really easily (a scene set in a hospital after a miscarriage is an incredibly strong piece of work). The actors also have great chemistry but as strong as it is there still feels something missing, I think the non-linear approach can be confusing; there’s a scene where they are talking about the character coming out as gay and there was no warning this was going to happen. It feels too unpolished.

If seen as a work in progress that Possibilities has a lot of potential, even if this story isn’t developed into something longer it is great to see the N16 based used to develop new work and new talents, an area that seems shut off in the West End. If Misprint Theatre/Theatre Utopia are producing any works near you I would recommend giving them a chance as it is clear that with time they will be producing some really interesting and engaging work.