Words don’t do justice to Sam Steiner’s Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons. Set in an almost dystopian future; combining a deeply political play with a love story is not an easy feat, but Steiner captures the complexity perfectly. Lemons explores a world where a 140-word limit, the ‘Hush Law’ has been enforced and demonstrates the effects it has on a couple, Bernadette (Jemima Murphy) and Oliver (Charlie Suff). The play jumps around in time, made up of very short, fast-paced scenes, but it is easy to follow. It is set over a potential time span of years, flitting back and forth between pre-word limit and present day and shows the deterioration of love and trust between Bernadette and Oliver.
Although the play’s first performance was back in 2015, it is more relevant than ever. Testing the limits of freedom of speech, the Hush Law creates cracks in social class and introduces discussions that could be real life scenarios. It is scary to realise how identifiable it is to disagree with close friends and family over the future of the country.
