INVISIBLE ME

SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE 

Longevity is all the rage at the moment – physical longevity that is. However, we won’t live long and happy lives if we don’t focus on our mental health as well, particularly as we age. Invisible Me, a comedy-drama by Bren Gosling, currently on at London´s Southwark Playhouse, examines this with laugh-out-loud moments.

Lynn (Tessa Peak Jones – Raquel from Only Fools and Horses) is sixty and lives alone in a house inherited from her mother, whom she had looked after for many years. Her abusive husband left her a long time ago; he has no kids or friends and works hard as a hotel cleaner for minimum wage. She’s sad and frustrated, hasn’t had sex since the 1980s, and doesn’t know how to improve her lot.

Jack (James Holmes – Miranda), also sixty, a gay man, is grieving the sudden loss of his partner of thirty-five years. Their relationship was very close and insular, with no close friends or family. Under the guidance of his therapist, he’s making tentative steps to rejoin the dating scene, only to realise modern dating is a minefield of random experiences.

Alex (Kevin N Golding), an ex-punk and all-around wannabe ladies’ man, is also sixty. He’s estranged from his wife and kids and works long hours as a taxi driver. He thinks he’s still got it, but his attempts to woo a woman half his age are not working out.

The three lonely, invisible Londoners live quite close by but don’t know each other, except for occasional snatched scowls between Jack and Alex, who live opposite each other. We follow them as they humorously navigate late middle age dating and sexual encounters in a modern world, finding unlikely and very funny paths to connection and fulfilment.

Director Scott Le Crass has woven many real-life threads into Invisible Me that all of us of a certain age will relate to, plus a few outlandish ones for good measure. The personal journeys of the three characters are warm to see, particularly Peak-Jones´ iconic Raquel smile and glint in the eye pops through as she finds an outrageous way to reinvent herself. Gosling is to be credited for creating a role for an HIV-positive character (Jack) where the diagnosis is just a minor, incidental part of the person, not the main story. This needs to happen more often.

The audience reaction ranges from very knowing looks to funny gasps to personal comparisons to the characters as we speed through eighty minutes of sharp dialogue and well-timed movement. It’s a very relevant play. As the baby-boom rave generation approaches its sixties, it’s a reminder of the importance of retaining a purpose in life, maintaining social lives, connection with others and dancing through the dramas. It’s never too late to reinvent yourself.