“A stroke of genius”: a preview of ‘Le Monocle’

When given the opportunity to review Le Monocle, I must admit that I jumped at the chance. Its not everyday one gets to see a show about “a famous twentieth century Parisian lesbian bar and the true life of the infamous athlete turned SS agent Violette Morris”, as writer and director Tiff Milner told me. It’s quite an outrageous plot description, but I’m glad to report that the show is just as remarkable as that description makes it sound.

Admittedly, the performance does need some polishing; there were places where the actors stumbled over their lines, and I found some of the transitions between past and present to be slightly confusing. But, in fairness, this was a first preview. These sorts of things are completely normal and I’m sure any issues will have been resolved by the time the show takes its place at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The tragedy sets in quickly, and you’ll find yourself feeling emotionally invested in the characters very early on

Given that these were the only faults I could find in the production (and a first preview at that), I have to say that I came away highly impressed.

I was particularly surprised by how emotional the show felt in such a short period of time. The play is only an hour long, but the tragedy sets in quickly, and you’ll find yourself feeling emotionally invested in the characters very early on. Many of the scenes are ones of heightened emotion that involve screaming and shouting, that the actors managed without hitch. This is a show that will really leave you reeling at its unfairness, and to create that level of emotion in an audience (especially in such a short amount of time) is a true testament to the actors’ abilities.

I walked away from this show feeling that I had witnessed something special

The story itself also deserves strong commendations. Set in Paris in the 1930s and telling the tale of a group of outsiders and their battle against a world that refuses to accept them, the appeal of the storyline is clear. But what makes this so refreshing is that there is no underdog-comes-good plot. The play deals with some quite complex and heavy themes – from what these women sacrifice in the hope of being accepted, to the Nazi occupation of Paris – but does so with a continual grace and sensitivity that really makes you feel for the characters. Of course, since it’s based on a real story, much of this is pre-determined, but I think that having seen this story’s potential as a play and having adapted it so well is a stroke of genius on the part of Tiff Milner.

Yet the thing that struck me most about Le Monocle is the sheer amount of potential it holds. Not only can I see it being a big success at Fringe, but I could absolutely see it being performed off the West End in ten years’ time. I walked away from this show feeling that I had witnessed something special, and I can’t wait to see what it achieves in the future. But in the meantime, I wish them all the best of luck at Fringe this summer, and I’m sure that the show will go down a storm.

Le Monocle will be at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival from August 2-9. Tickets are available here.