Theatre Review: Disco Pigs at Trafalgar Studios

Disco Pigs, Trafalgar Studios, LondonWritten by: Edna WalshDirected by: John HaidarStaring: Evanna Lynch and Colin Campbell

Review: Something that I've been feeling with a lot of plays I've seen in the last month is how relevant they feel. We're living in a strange precarious time, and it's telling to be able to see the thoughts and feelings of the past reflected in today's society. One theme that will never age is friendship. 

Disco Pigs follows Runt and Pig, friends from birth, a friendship like no other that exists in a bubble. The older they get the more they want from the world, until the burdens and responsibilities of real life have a lasting impact on their friendship.   

The play evolves fast, and you quickly got wrapped up in their story, and its was quite endearing to watch. Confusing but endearing. You became fully engaged and invested in their story. Pig (Colin Campbell) was the more verbose of the two and his performance was fantastic. He had this beautiful protective nature for Runt (Evanna Lynch), he was a leader and a guide, but he was also a lad and this started to turn against him. That which had built the foundations of their friendship started to break it apart and it was sad to watch.

They were also talking at a million miles an hour with strong Irish accents. I'm a sucker for accents and it added this extra layer of grit to the play. It affected the way they spoke and communicated and within that they were talking with their own lexicon, the way deep friendships can form their own language. The writing was fantastic in this. It was funny, engaging, but explored the darker elements of growing up and the consequences of your actions. That which was made light was turned on its head and exposed for its gritty realism.

This was a play I had small expectations for. I'd gone into it almost blank, having briefly read the blurb, but more curious with the draw of Evanna, as I'm sure a number of people did. What I experienced blew me out of the water. To be able to keep this up, at the pace they were going with the energy and movement they put in was a feat of achievement.