Almost Face to Face

Stephen House is a performer with the skills to sustain interest in a monologue over the course of an hour and to still leave his audience potentially wanting more.

In a style somewhere between that of a casual raconteur and an intense confessional poet, House takes us vividly into a world that will be largely unfamiliar to most; a world of compulsive sex and easy access to drugs, of sad reclusive lives looking for comfort in the arms of fellow misfits, of communal activities leading to a dance with death…

There is humour to be found here, though it grows increasingly sparse in the show’s second half; there is also great compassion for those who populate House’s text, as well as a philosophical integrity that commands respect, and an openness to spirituality that points to an implicitly hopeful future.

Just how much (if any) of what House has to tell us may be autobiographical is, ultimately, not for a reviewer to speculate or to place undue emphasis on, but this possibility adds an unavoidable extra layer of interest to the proceedings. In any event, Almost Face to Face is a show that powerfully communicates a feeling of truth.

This production manages to go beyond mere storytelling, into the realm of true theatre, even with a cast of one and a minimum of costuming, set dressing, or impersonation. The reliable Stephen Dean contributes some quite exquisitely executed lighting and sound.

If it is one of the purposes of art to shine a non-judgemental light onto aspects of human experience that will challenge an audience, then Almost Face to Face is undoubtedly the work of a brave and accomplished artist.

Anthony Vawser