Theatre Review: KERBS

KERBS is a new, exciting rom-com play written by Michael Southan and co-produced by Graeae and Belgrade Theatre, Coventry. It follows Lucy, a wheelchair user, as she navigates the tricky world of dating. She meets David on the dating app ‘Tindle’ but finds it difficult to let him into her life after she has an accident. Their relationship progresses as they go on a trip to Minehead in David’s family caravan and this is where most of the pivotal action of the play happens. The main conflicts in their relationship are them clashing over the state of the caravan and having sex for the first time.

The relationship became serious during the holiday stay but I wish that more happened beyond the relationship troubles. It felt like we were only in Minehead just for the obstacles of the play to unfold. However, I did like how the relationship difficulty did not centre around disability being the issue and we also saw how miscommunication can weigh heavy on a relationship.

Time and care was taken into constructing the intimate moments. [They were] delicate, honest and raw

I really appreciated that there was a movement and intimacy director, Angela Gasparetto. This is an important element of production and it is beginning to become normalised in theatre and television. It is visible in the action of the play that time and care was taken into constructing the intimate moments. The approach was delicate, honest and raw. We see the intricacies and complications of lovemaking for two wheelchair users. There was a lot of chemistry between David and Lucy. Again Gasparetto and the actors are to be praised for the intimacy they staged. David and Lucy had a quickie in the bathroom and the director worked to show how the toilet sling can be used to aid their sexual experience. I think this was an important scene to show representation of how sex happens for different people.

Lucy is definitely the central character. She is complex, sexual, vulnerable, contradictory but she grows and learns. She comes to an understanding of her mum’s overprotection and her own desire to be independent and she is a confident advocate for herself. The dynamic of the mother-daughter adult relationship was relatable but sometimes felt underdeveloped. Some of the other characters like Carol (Lucy’s mum) and Toni feel a bit auxiliary and I was left wondering about some aspects about them that the writer introduces. At some points, I even wondered about David’s life outside of his relationship with Lucy.

The dialogue at times felt on the nose and a bit unrealistic

The dialogue at times felt on the nose and a bit unrealistic. The talking in hashtags was quite unbearable but the characters were pronounced and loveable. The set design was minimal but functional and felt really modern with the use of neon lights and house music during scene changes. However, at times it did not help differentiate the spaces enough; for example, the caravan scene lacked dimension.

I enjoyed KERBS for how much it explored. It is a vital lesson in loving and caring. It explored: independence, disabled lovemaking, vulnerability, love, sexuality, online dating, family relationships, caregiving and so much more.

A refreshing depiction of disabled romance

The play is about people and love – ‘It just so happens that these humans have disabilities’ – as Southan says in an interview on the play. It was a refreshing depiction of disabled romance as disabled characters aren’t often explored as sexual beings. The lessons and themes are accessible to everybody. The show concluded with the opportunity to write a love letter to anyone and I chose to write:

“Dear Fisola

The difference in you and the difference in others keeps the world turning. In the face of odds, choose love, give love, welcome love, trust love, hope for love and the rest will work out.

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry (1/3/22)”

For me, KERBS is one of the many lessons in the school of love we are enrolled in for the rest of our lives and I will remember this show for the precious story it told.