Only You

Stem Performance Group's Only You kickstarts with slides of a couple copulating and in self-defence poses (Amanda Dunsmore and Sean Taylor), punctuated with a vibrant soundscape by Richard Creasy. Onstage, the couple sit on opposite sides of a table. He offers her "gifts" at first tenderly, but when ignored, his demeanour, like his offerings, become physically provocative. Concurrently, a woman applies tell-tale make up to the seated woman's face, whilst a younger man tumbles lyrically around them. Drawing a narrative, one witnesses intimate, commonplace stories of dysfunctional relationships - 20 minutes of multimedia coherence - but the piece takes no discernable position. The performances (including Ciarda Tobin and Richard O'Brien's) are eminently watchable. However, the lack of commentary is disengaging and begs further development. As is, Only You succeeds in character disassociation but just scratches the surface.