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★★½
‘It’s Nothing Personal, It’s Just Business’ has been at Barons Court Theatre in London this week, exploring the art form of acting. Covering topics such as the restriction of creativity and the difficulties of starting out in the industry, it is a personal and reflective piece by Kelsey Marlowe Jessup that aims to provide insight into what it is like to be an aspiring performer. Combining drama, poetry and audience interaction, the writer stars in the play alongside Clement James, with direction by Kira Gaudynski. Whilst the play is thoughtful in its subject matter, the contrasting scenes are difficult to follow as a sequence and it lacks structure.
Format and structure
The common theme is acting, but the play straddles two different forms: an audience interaction piece and a deeply emotive exploration of what it takes to be an actor. From a mid-show implied power cut due to a lack of funds to a powerful, abstract scene about the importance of having the opportunity to ‘play’ as an actor, for me it is this difference in style where the material falls short. There are moments where Kelsey is very much in the moment of the scene, breaking down emotionally, but then there is a sudden jump back to reality and the focus returns to the audience. Whilst I could get behind both styles of performance independently, I don’t believe they work together in a fringe length piece. Interestingly, it was the lighter moments with tech assistant Clement James and the deadpan humour about the realities of running a show which I found to be the most endearing, and it would have been great to see more of this.
Relatable themes
Important topics are covered, such as the cost of pursuing a career in the arts, the role of teachers in honing an actor’s craft and the very current topic of AI (told through the format of a Robo-Thespian video call). However, there is not enough time to fully explore each subject matter within the 60-minute running time. The outcome is a series of jigsaw pieces that never quite fit together, discrediting the weight of the topics covered.
Final thoughts
I like the concept, especially the transparency and honesty surrounding the realities of being an actor, but the play is quite disjointed in its current form. If it wasn’t for the consistent theme of a passion for acting, which is told through some powerful quotes, there would have been very limited cohesivity. Whilst I appreciate that the wider point of the work was to possibly highlight that actors should be able to be creative without restriction, the fluidity of the piece is actually to its detriment. ‘It’s Nothing Personal, It’s Just Business’ could be a stark and realistic account of pursuing a career as an actor, but it is not quite there yet. The play has now finished its run at Barons Court Theatre, but I look forward to hearing about how it develops.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
*My ticket for ‘It’s Nothing Personal, It’s Just Business’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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