The Space Between The Sheets - Theatre Review

Lion and Unicorn Theatre, London

Photo: Ewa Emini

Dating can be... tricky for our generation, to put it mildly. The culture of dating has evolved in the last few years and has a lot more layers to it, with social media, dating apps, casual hook-ups, open relationships etc. At the end of the day though, it boils down to the same thing: true connection with another person. Finding another human being and feeling a tingling in your soul when you’re around them, warmth spreading around your body and peacefulness in your mind.

The Space Between The Sheets (written by Kelsey Ann Moebius) is a play that shows the potential of a new connection and how everything we carry within us, all the insecurities, past experiences, traumas, cultural attributes, can either hinder or encourage that potential. Two university students, Robin (played by Kelsey Ann Moebius) and Aaron (played by Cameron Emil Jarvis) find each other at the pub and soon after go back to Robin’s place together. It starts off like a straightforward one-night-stand, till they start asking each other deep questions, questions they might not be ready to answer to a love interest. As the night progresses, they laugh, drink, dance and attempt to open up to each other, but it’s not as easy as it seems.

The goal of this play is not to overwhelm the audience with action or numbers of complicated timelines and characters. On the contrary, it’s about how the two characters speak to one another, how they exist in each other’s presence and how they navigate the attraction they feel. Moebius and Jarvis succeed in demonstrating the awkwardness, flaws and playfulness of their characters, with beautiful chemistry that makes the audience root for them. As the dialogue progresses, it becomes more and more clear that although the attraction is definitely there, they both expect something that is far beyond what the person standing in front of them can offer. And it’s clear that the picture they have in their heads, takes them further and further away from truly connecting.

Moebius’ script is witty and relevant, though at certain times cliché. The constant joking around regarding the cultural differences between American Robin and British Aaron is entertaining at first, but somewhere on the way becomes trite. The flow and pacing are great and even though exposition is unavoidable when two characters meet for the first time on stage, it doesn’t feel forced. Director Ewa Emini does a fantastic job at elevating the text, as well as accentuating the moments of tenderness and embarrassment alike.

The set is a perfect example of what a university student’s home looks like, full of interesting lights, snacks, alcohol and a disarray of clothes that is hilariously relatable. Lighting design is mostly sharp and naturalistic, with instances where a more romantic set of tones takes over and embraces the stage in a comforting and hopeful manner.

The Space Between The Sheets is a tale of modern love that speaks volumes about the fun times and hard truths one faces on the journey of dating. Robin is bubbly, yet evasive, while Aaron treats her almost like a stereotype rather than a person, but they don’t give up. And I believe that’s the most important thing to take away from this show. Dating, love even, might get challenging and eventually not work out, but how are we to know if we don’t at least try?