Blueprints by Ashlee Elizabeth-Lolo - ★★★☆☆
Seated under blue lights, we closely follow the love life of Adam (Martin Whyte) and Faith (Aisha Weise-Forbes) as they journey to figure out if they are a perfect match for one another.
Shortly after meeting on a hiking trip, the pair become official. Adam’s charm and wit, coupled with Faith's grace and quick comebacks mean that the pair get on like a house on fire. After meeting the parents and moving in together; the couple come across and take part in ‘The Blueprint’, an experience that changes the course of their relationship.
Not far from an episode of Black Mirror, the Blueprint is a system that can tell your full ancestry, a history of your bloodline and a breakdown of any hereditary diseases. In theory knowledge is power, however issues arise for Faith and Adam when The Blueprint tells them more about their history than they could’ve dared to imagine.
Following their encounter with The Blueprint, Adam and Faith begin to face various challenges in their relationship. Faith is eager to break Adam's ancestral cycles, while Adam is drawn to knowing more about his rich history and connecting to the past.
Blueprints is an interesting play, one of a few that carefully and considerately explores the relationship between the Christian Faith and African Spirituality in a way that does not condemn either practice. It also puts to question how important it is for us to know and connect with our history; are we better off carving our future without any knowledge of what has been, or, is it worth exploring?
The chemistry between both characters was electrifying and engaging. It was beautiful to watch how they both bounced off one another, with their strong connection coming through both in dialogue and body language.
Ashlee Elizabeth-Lolo has a promising script that could do incredibly well with a few more revisions. Though the story is interesting and unique, there are moments where the play loses focus and in turn confuses the audience. Some aspects of the conversation seem unrealistic based on the dynamic of the relationship which adds to the loss of focus.
Nevertheless, Blueprints was an enjoyable watch. The deeper themes explored include trauma, rejection and a focus on the role Women tend to play in relationships. Filled with humour and great music, Blueprints is due to do well at the Edinburgh Fringe.
You can catch Blueprints at Edinburgh Fringe from 17 - 28 August.