Tom Brennan’s Overtone playing at the Pleasance Dome has an intriguing premise and some important questions about the lasting impact of abusive relationships. Exploring how formative experiences continue to shape us long into adulthood, it is a thoughtful piece that never lacks ambition, even if its emotional payoff proves more elusive than expected.
The story unfolds across two timelines. In the past, we follow a young couple who meet through a choir and become entangled in the damaging influence of their charismatic choir director. In the present, the same couple find themselves forced to confront those memories after unexpectedly spotting him on the street years later. Alongside this runs a dinner gathering with the woman’s goddaughter and her boyfriend, a parallel narrative intended to reveal how old wounds continue to affect their relationship today.
It is certainly an interesting framework, but one that never entirely clicks into place. The shifts between past and present are clear enough, yet the connection between the two strands often feels underdeveloped. The dinner scenes appear designed to demonstrate the lingering consequences of past trauma, but the significance of the goddaughter’s presence remains somewhat unclear. As a result, the play spends a long time establishing ideas that never fully coalesce into the powerful emotional revelation it seems to be building towards.
There is no shortage of dramatic intensity on stage, but too often the production tells us how we should feel rather than allowing those emotions to emerge naturally. Moments that ought to land with devastating force instead feel somewhat overplayed, creating distance where intimacy might have been more effective. Given the subject matter, audiences may find themselves admiring the themes being explored more than genuinely connecting with them.
Fortunately, the cast do much of the heavy lifting. Claire Dargo and Scott Fletcher deliver assured, deeply committed performances that bring credibility and nuance to the material. Even when the script struggles to fully articulate its ideas, both actors remain compelling company, grounding the story in recognisable human behaviour and emotional truth. Their chemistry gives the play much of its strength and keeps the audience invested throughout.
Overtone tackles difficult and important themes with intelligence and sincerity, and there are flashes of a more powerful drama within it. While its structure and emotional execution do not always serve those ambitions as effectively as they might, strong performances ensure it remains an engaging hour of theatre.
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