The title of William Boyd's
The Argument does relate to one argument in
particular - the one in the opening scene, which has repercussions for the rest of
the play - but every scene sees a different pairing of characters lock horns. Pip
(Oliver Dimsdale) and Meredith (Marianne Oldham) are disagreeing about a crappy
movie they've just watched, when the topic suddenly gets darker, leading to Pip
admitting that, after only three years of marriage, he's had an affair with a
colleague. He moves out of the house, leading their friends to try and get them to
reconcile, while Meredith's parents Chloe (Diana Hardcastle) and Frank (Michael
Simkins) can't agree on whether they want their daughter to get back with her
husband, or move on. A lot of alcohol seems to be fueling both the characters'
aggression, and their bad decisions, a fact which Anna Ledwich's production
highlights by leaving their empty wine glasses and beer bottles to litter the stage
as the play goes on.
