‘Love’ puts spotlight on social housing at the National Theatre

A play that explores the tensions and worry caused by a lack of social housing has opened at the National Theatre, London.

‘Love’ depicts several characters caught in limbo in temporary accommodation, waiting for their housing officer to find them a home.

Very different characters are forced to share the same dining area and toilet: a family of four (including a mother who is pregnant), an aging man caring for his incontinent mother, a Sudanese woman and a Syrian man.

Despite the bleakness of the situation, initially the characters display a hopeful positivity and find things to laugh about despite their plight.

Dad Dean pauses while cooking dinner for a pillow fight with his son; Colin tenderly washes the hair of his mother, albeit with washing up liquid in the kitchen sink.

But despair soon creeps in. Colin is made to wait five hours for a five-minute meeting with his housing officer that proves fruitless. Dean tries to hide the fact that he has been to a food bank from his family. We see dignity disappearing.

The claustrophobic situation becomes increasingly stressful and the tension eventually pushes the characters to volatile reactions they instantly regret. From such situations, incredibly affecting emotions are stirred that hint at the reason for the play’s title.

Writer and director Alexander Zeldin asked people in temporary accommodation to advise on the writing and performance of the play, with authentic-feeling results.

Zeldin also worked with refugees, eventually casting one of them in the play. Bill Rashleigh, head of investigations at housing charity Shelter, acted as an advisor on aspects of the production.

Although the issues explored are political, Zeldin denies his play is political theatre, instead saying that his motive was to move an audience. In an interview with The Stage he commented: “I’m interested in touching people, and I think if you can achieve that – if you can actually be touched by something in a true way – that’s quite a beautiful and a rare thing."

At the performance Pioneers Post attended, that was certainly the case. Sighs and gasps were audible, as was the sound of crying from audience members in some of the play’s more emotive scenes.

The play continues at the Dorfman Theatre (one of several spaces at the National Theatre) until 10 January, after which it will move to Birmingham Repertory Theatre with performances from 26 January until 11 February 2017. 

Photo credit: Sarah Lee