Review: Cubicle four, Paradise in the Vault (Venue 29)

By Sally Stott
Published on 27/08/2012 15:19

This collection of three short relationships dramas set in a cubicle of an A&E department rattles along nicely, due to some strong character-driven writing from Rachel Jarmy, and won the Cambridge Drama Festival competition.

* * *

Each story starts with a 999 call that leads to a bedside scene within the hospital. A boy reluctantly visits his grandma and struggles to get over something that happened in the past. A man caught up in a crime is tended to by his friend as the lines between victim and perpetrator are blurred. A wife speaks to her unconscious husband and reveals some news that seems unlikely to help his condition.

It’s difficult for the piece to progress beyond being anything more than a collection of shorts – although there is a nice running joke in which all the characters wonder if “someone died” in the bed they’re using – but the sparky dialogue, neat structure and a few strong performances from the cast make for an engaging if unchallenging 50 minutes.

It may feel a little like a collection of snapshots from a TV medical soap but it has some well-observed relationships and the kind of light tone that appeals to a broad audience.

Until 27 August. Today 4:15pm.