Simon Ward reviews Scar Tissue at the Old Red Lion Theatre

Lilwen Faulkner’s thought-provoking new play is a reminder that the early traumatic events of our lives never really leave us, and may even ripple through to future generations. As writer and director, Faulkner shines a spotlight on the lives of best friends Mac (Jacob Freda) and Joey (Curtis Burrows). Whereas Mac is married with two children, Joey has never really settled down. In fact, as he hammers on Mac’s door to demand entry, he seems to be in a very bad way indeed. He is covered in blood and his nose is still bleeding. In what seems to be a well worn routine, Mac offers tea, advice and lots of tissues. Joey accepts all this less than graciously, as though Mac were somehow to blame for the state he finds himself in. As the play progresses we come to understand that both characters actually believe this to be true.

The odd couple chemistry between the two works well – in spite of his messed-up appearance, Joey is cool and cocky, whereas Mac is every inch the harassed, exhausted and disappointed dad. And there is something paternal in the way Mac tries to take care of Joey, in spite of his reluctance. He thinks he knows what is best for him. Even if there is a bit of Joey that believes that Mac is right, he refuses to admit it. He needs to plough his own furrow, regardless of what anyone thinks, perhaps especially regardless of what Mac thinks. The pair have known each other since school days and the twists and turns of their co-dependent relationship continue to play out.

As the two men are stuck in a kind of cycle of mutual dependency, it is adversely affecting the rest of their lives. Joey cannot resist the dangerous temptations that inevitably end up with him damaged and seeking help at Mac’s door. And if Mac is baffled by what keeps Joey on his self-destructive path, we can see that his own life is also fraying at the edges, and that his apparently contented and conventional world is much more fragile than it looks. But the lure of darkness and danger that Joey seeks is just too powerful for Mac to even contemplate.

The ironic message of Joey’s Tesco bag rings true – Reuse and Repeat – neither of them can see a way out of the patterns. But maybe it will be taken out of their hands – Mac’s wife may finally run out of patience for his endless indulgence of Joey, and she certainly will not want him anywhere near their children; Joey may finally find that someone or something goes too far and even Mac’s tissues and tea will not be enough to put him back together again. As Joey despondently tries to erase all the evidence that he was ever there, we know that the physical traces can be removed much more easily than the psychological wounds.

Scar Tissue is running at the Old Red Lion Theatre, 418 John Street, London EC1V 4NJ, until Tuesday 15th September