THEATRE REVIEW: Lungs ★★★★

Lungs

The Old Vic, London

Monday 14th October - Saturday 9th November 2019

There’s something undeniably beautiful that resonates through Duncan MacMillan’s two hander, which is being staged in the round at The Old Vic with Claire Foy and Matt Smith taking the stage, most familiar with the audience through their chemistry on the Netflix series The Crown. Through the talk of babies (in an Ikea queue), a rather honest and heart pounding realness to the conversation of PostNatal Depression, right the way through to infidelity,  Foy and Smith never let the pace up on Lungs, which ultimately is a snapshot through the lives of one couple’s journey to bringing new life to an already overcrowded world, with blinding portrayals from both leads, and Foy giving a career-defining performance.

With no props or set to help guide the story along, it’s up to the words and emotions of our two leads to do justice to Macmillan’s words, and it’s with the direction from Matthew Warchus which really elevates throughout the auditorium. Playing in the round at the Old Vic, and sitting on what has been described as ‘Stage Stalls’, you get to be at the most intimate distance which draws you in everso more, as we equally have all our eyes upon this couple, W and M, who are about to make one of the most life changing decisions that will propel their future. 

Warchus uses the purpose built stage to his advantage with levels from Smith and Foy, where power is played and more joyous moments moulded into a realistic manner, from the park to the bath, to some more private moments, where nothing seems too theatrical, leaving us to immerse ourselves through the conversations, some of which will feel raw and some which will continue long after the play is over. 

Tim Lutkin’s lighting design is of a natural state throughout, and though some would not seem to notice, as the 80 minutes fly through, so do gradually the pool of lanterns above the stage, slowing starting to dim as the world in which the characters are engaged in starts to splinter apart. 

Overall, Lungs is ultimately a show of words and conversations that every audience member will be able to relate to in some form, or will come across in the future. With staggering performances from the two leads and a direction which will keep the otherwise bare stage fresh through its 80 minute duration, you should run to beg, or borrow a ticket where you can, as the production is due to finish by the weekend.