Michael Dennis, the writer of Dark Sublime, makes a very good first effort at a full-length play at the intimate Trafalgar Studios 2. It is a mix exploring the style of Eighties TV Sci-Fi, the modern-day cult of Cos Play conventions and long-term gay friendships. Some elements work better than others not helped by the constraints of the set design and budget.
The design by Tim McQuillen-Wright works well for the interior of actress Marianne’s flat and neatly transforms into the spaceship of the Dark Sublime TV show but is far less effective as an outdoor field or the convention centre hotel for Ruby Con 1 as too much of the flat props are still visible. It makes the scenes in these locations harder to engage with as they are largely duologues with relatively static blocking. A bigger budget and venue would have allowed a more imaginative setting for these key scenes where the gay relationships and friendships are tenderly explored.
