Review of ‘The Sea Horse’: “Fringe revival of unsalted classic barely blows out of the water”

The Golden Goose Theatre hosts the London premiere of Edward J. Moore’s award-winning play, exploring the tense romance between two broken souls struggling to stay afloat. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show to let us know if its harrowing recount invites audiences to dive in, or if it just barely coasts along.

No relationship is perfect — my track record of exes proves that point categorically, and also tragically. There’s a lot to expect from a premise dealing with two estranged lovers reuniting after one of them spent a long time at sea. He has returned with enthusiastic hopes about their future together. She, however, cannot decide if that’s the way she wants to spend the rest of her life. She carries too much baggage, and every suitcase is filled with grief and trauma.

A lot can go wrong in this kind of situation. And certainly, it has in The Sea Horse, which celebrated its London debut this week at The Golden Goose Theatre. Originally published in 1974, this two-hander play explores the toxicity that both binds and sets apart its protagonists, meandering through the misleading passions that form that connection. Is it love or is it lust? Is it care or just obsession? And is it a true romance or just codependency?

The strength of its topic effuses the piece’s dramatic power. And the opportunities for a poignant, gripping, and thought-provoking analysis of the human condition are as appreciable as they are accessible. Yet, perhaps because of the time when it was written, or perhaps because playwright Edward J. Moore just couldn’t convey the same stir as other fellow authors, none of these possibilities is exploited in a satisfactory manner.

Thematically similar to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, the script takes us on a steep roller coaster of raw, undefined emotions, where the characters shift from one mood to its opposite at the snap of a finger. It is believable, to some extent, given the tumultuous nature of their affair. But even when acknowledging the volatility of their temperaments, the text still feels unpolished and, for the most part, extremely disorganized.

There’s not enough buildup to allow those emotions to permeate. Consequently, the personages’ arc feels sketchy. It departs from a fervent starting point, and its conclusion is both sound and climactic. Yet, the path linking both ends is meager and unclear. There might be an intention behind it, underpinning the impulsivity and crudeness that bring both characters together, but even with that in mind, the structure comes across as faulty and ineffective.

Ultimately, there’s too much idle platter that leads virtually nowhere. The script relies on too much exposition to delve into the protagonists’ psyches. As a result, there’s very little action to grasp, and its ability to engage with the viewer is heavily compromised. Act Two improves the pacing significantly, but its resonance is, nonetheless, limited. By the time the play has finished, we can’t experience any reaction to what we’ve just witnessed, not only because they haven’t given us the necessary tools to invest in their journey, but because that journey is hardly a reality.

Actors Jay Rincon and Rachael Bellis accentuate the material’s edgiest side through their eruptive yet naturalistic renditions, which adequately convey the unresolved tension between the characters. However, their chemistry is scarcely palpable, as their portrayals fail to capture the irrational attraction that founds their relationship. The lack of balance between the two performers only underlines the problem. While Rincon delivers his role with commanding presence and absolute flawlessness, Bellis’s struggles with subtext make her interpretation come off flat and slightly uninviting.

Every story has been told. And surely, it won’t be the first or last time that a plot involving an abusive relationship hits the stage (no pun intended). Yet, The Sea Horse doesn’t make much of an effort to achieve prominence, sinking as one more drop in the literary ocean, and eventually drowning beneath the success of better-crafted works. Although its ability to rock the boat is undeniable, the piece seems to be caught in its own tidal wave, barely surfing it before losing all chances to shore itself up. As a germinal idea, the world was its oyster. But in many aspects, it looks like a fish out of water.

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The Sea Horse plays at London’s Golden Goose Theatre until 15th November. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara