My Best Friend Drowned in a Swimming Pool

My Best Friend Drowned in a Swimming Pool is the latest play by young playwright Eva O'Connor who stormed the fringe with her debut Clinical Lies, and it is clear O’Connor has not, under any circumstances, taken a back seat whilst writing her second play.

Funded in part by the English Literature Performing Grant, this new play was suitably performed in one of the university’s own buildings, Adam House theatre. My Best Friend explores the issues of grief and loss during the transitional period of adolescence, whilst showing how and in what ways loss is a very individual emotion. O’Connor takes us on a journey into the minds and workings of four characters - Liam, Eleanor, Chloe and Connor - caught up in the aftermath of a sudden death.

The play itself is powerful, using both evocative language and expletives to remind the audience that those affected are not too far removed from reality. O’Connor approaches current issues with a sense of cynicism and irony, portraying recreational drugs quite simply as just that: recreation rather than an addiction. There are also references to casual sex with one character portrayed as being particularly liberal, highlighting the stigma attached to overt feminine sexuality.

The music is one of the most influential factors throughout the play, and the transition between scenes is heavily assisted by carefully selected alternative music which the audience may not be accustomed to. However, this does not detract from the play as it helps to expose certain characters' states of mind. The main criticism is of the production's staging; the set was neither so full that it was interesting nor so stark that it was abstract, which was a little confusing.

However the audience's connection and comprehension is re-established when each characters' emotional monologue is delivered spotlit and centre stage. The actors were certainly well cast and the production capacity as a whole was undeniably emotive. O’Connor’s writing is a force to be reckoned with.