**Soho Theatre • 18th June - 26th July**

Billy Porter has certainly had a busy start to 2025. Not content with co-hosting this years Olivier Awards alongside Beverly Knight, or spending the first 5 months of the year in the role of Emcee in the London production of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, he’s now jetting off to America to reprise the role on Broadway, (having left the West End production in the very capable hands of Rob Madge, Jack The Lad - Issue 38). Before he leaves for Broadway however, he has somehow managed to find the time to make his London directorial debut with a revival of Harrison David Rivers play This Bitter Earth. First performed in 2017 this moving 90 minute two-hander is currently playing at the Soho Theatre until 26th July.

Set in New York between 2012 and 2015, the play examines the interracial relationship that develops between ‘introspective black playwright’, Jesse, (Omari Douglas), and the altogether more gregarious ‘white Black Lives Matter activist’ Neil, (Alexander Lincoln), who, unlike Jesse, grew up in the affluent brownstone townhouses of Brooklyn Heights. They randomly meet at a protest march for shot black teenager Tryvon Martin, and despite the first date that follows throwing up a world of differences between them, a connection is made and they decide to meet again.

Rivers’ play does an impressive job of showing the day to day struggles every new relationship must negotiate in its infancy as we watch the start of these two strangers journey unfold. It also shows a couple having to contend with the very real prejudices that exist in the world that surrounds them. “What do you think offends her more?” Neil asks Jesse as they hold hands on the subway, “The fact that we are gay or the fact that we are interracial?”. Whilst the bonds that grow between the couple give them the armour to cope with such everyday hostilities, they are also never far from being reminded that theirs is also a world where the murder of unarmed black men is getting increasingly frequent and which, on any number of occasions, is happening at the hands of the Police. The difference in the couples reactions lead to cracks starting to appear in their relationship, with Jesse’s apparent political apathy becoming an increasing source of irritation for Neil, whilst Neil’s infidelity whilst at a rally in Missouri is a breach of trust Jesse finds himself unable to reconcile.

Whilst Rivers is able to deftly make a number of political and social observations throughout the play, it is never at the expense of the more emotional core of his characters journey. This is greatly helped by Douglas and Lincoln being exceptionally well matched as the highly likeable couple, with both actors being able to match the quick fire shifts in the plays nonlinear timeline with the equally quick fire shifts they are required to make in their characters emotions. Unfortunately, with the action jumping so quickly between location and timeframe, equally quick shifts in the scenery are required as the play whisks us through a number of snapshot moments that define the couple’s relationship. Whilst the versatile physical set is kept to a bare minimum, the frequency of its reconfiguration does become something of a distraction, even if these same quick transitions amplify an undercurrent of unrest that seems to permeate the couples story from the very start.

Beyond the physical set dressing, Porter uses a number of highly inventive projections throughout that are wisely employed to enhance the atmosphere of the moment rather than attempt a photo-realistic recreation of any given location. It’s a device that works extremely well with the set (Morgan Large) sound (Julian Starr) and lighting designer (Lee Curran) all bringing their a-game to create a very stylish looking production.

It therefore feels a shame that Rivers has chosen to make the plays ending a ‘fait accompli’ given just how early he indicates that all might not end well for the couple. “In moments of great pain, I think about my blessings”, Douglas declares during an opening address to the audience, and the reprise of some shattering glass (I jumped EVERY time!) seems to repeatedly seal this couples fate. It’s also a finale that reminded me of a friend who once said “Why must all our stories end so tragically?”. It would appear that this still seems to be de rigueur in 2025. However, the play is wonderfully acted, tightly directed and stylishly designed, meaning everything about This Bitter Earth delivers right up until an end so heavily signposted that it ultimately feels robbed of it’s potentially greater impact.

★★★★