Loving each other to bits

12:36pm Wednesday 7th November 2007

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A POWERFUL and unforgettable piece of theatre, Stockholm, currently playing at Malvern's Forum Theatre, lasts just 75 minutes, but every one of them is made to count.

Todd and Kali appear at first sight to be an enviably happy and sorted thirtysomething couple - madly in love, the passion still alive after two years, the owners of a fabulous home with - "no scintilla of irony, the wow factor" - and looking forward to a break in Stockholm. First, though, there's Todd's birthday to enjoy, full of presents and surprises, but as their complex relationship is deconstructed before us, not all the presents and surprises are good ones.

With extraordinary economy of language, intricate choreography and some genuinely shocking moments, the truth of Todd and Kali's life together is revealed, and it's a long way from the happy ever after' they seem to have in store at the start. What is clear, though, is that this is, whatever we may think of their co-dependency, a love story, one which requires its audience to re-think the definition of love, desire and need.

As Todd and Kali, Samuel James and Georgina Lamb both give utterly convincing performances which work with a tight, spare script to illuminate some uncomfortable emotional truths.

Stockholm is at Malvern Theatres' Forum Theatre until Thursday, November 8 at 7.30pm. To book, call the box office on 01684 892277.