London Suite is the third production by youth-driven theatre company Visual Monsters: a rather enjoyable set of short plays by Neil Simon. But truth be told, it's rather mixed in quality. Of the four pieces performed, I'd say only two are verifiably good.
Going Home shines mostly due to the strength of veteran actress Bridget Therese Lachica. She's comfortably natural in the role of a garrulous middle-aged widow, goaded by her daughter into accepting a date. Diana and Sidney, centred on an over-the-top TV executive and her bisexual ex-husband, is more emotionally intense, yet just as hilarious. It's also memorable for the chemistry between lead actors Zachary Ibrahim and Cassandra Jean Spykerman. The adaptation deserves praise, too: the characters work excellently as urban Malaysians rather than Americans. Kudos to director Elina Lim.
Acting is glaringly unpolished in the offbeat suspense thrillerSettling Accounts and the slapstick The Man on the Floor. But then, these are directed by a first-time theatre director, who clearly requires further experience. Rough edges abound in other ways: the lighting design is virtually haphazard, set changes are clumsy and the program booklet provides a few plot spoilers. Not a bad show overall, but clearly, Visual should aim for higher production values next time.