Theatre review: Es & Flo

Sometimes I hit a pleasingly strong streak of shows and the last few weeks seem to have been one of those - but did all the best ones have to be the tear-jerkers? In Jennifer Lunn's Es & Flo, the titular couple have been together for 36 years, after meeting as protesters at Greenham Common. Esme (Liz Crowther) was unhappily married at the time, and though she divorced her husband after meeting Flo (Doreene Blackstock,) it was far from painless: She lost custody of her son, and has never had a close relationship with him since. Flo has been the constant in her life ever since, but they never married when it became legal, or made any kind of legal provision. Everything is in Es' name, which is becoming an urgent problem - as Es is showing increasing signs of dementia, and won't agree to sign the power of attorney.

And her distant son is suddenly starting to show an interest, although not enough to visit in person - he occasionally sends his wife Catherine (Michelle McTernan) to talk Es into selling the house and moving into assisted living.

Lunn's play is reasonably gentle, yet not only affecting but quite layered in its subjects. At the forefront is the theme of ageing LGBTQ+ couples: While there's enough increase in discrimination going on today to continue worrying about, the reminder here is that any progress we have made isn't necessarily enough not to have left scars: Flo's family actually disowned her when she came out, but Es is trapped by something less tangible. As a teacher in the 1980s she had to stay in the closet because of Section 28, and it's left her genuinely terrified of anyone, especially her son, finding out about her true relationship with her "lodger."

But the anti-nuclear protests at Greenham Common are also a major element, with the regular singing of protest songs, while photos from the time are projected onto Libby Watson's set during scene changes. If it's suggested that women discovered their chosen families there, that's something that carries through to the present day, as Es and Flo find a connection with Es' care assistant Beata (Adrianna Pavlovska) and her daughter Kasia (Chioma Nduka, alternating with Renée Hart.)

All of this means Susie McKenna's production has an enduring sense of optimism - despite its subject matter seeing Es' hold on her own history weaken, even as she tries to impart it to Kasia. The titular characters are as frustrating as they are loveable - Es clings to an imagined version of her son above the very real woman she's shared her life with, while there's a selfishness to Flo's wanting to care for Es all by herself, and denying how bad she's getting - and it all contributes to them feeling three-dimensional. As much a story about making sure queer and feminist history aren't forgotten as it is an intimate love story, this is another of the little gems out in London theatre at the moment.

Es & Flo by Jennifer Lunn is booking until the 24th of June at the Kiln Theatre.

Running time: 1 hour 55 minutes including interval.

Photo credit: Kirsten McTernan.