Review: ON THE LINE, Written on the Waves (Online)

Presented by Dessa as part of the Written on the Waves series by 45North, On the Line follows long time friends Gina and Simon over the course of a late-night phone call when they discuss sex, sacrifice, love, and loneliness. They discover that it is hard to tell what sort of love you are in and who else might be in it with you. 

The composition of the piece is cleverly made up and the sound design is wonderful - kudos to Tony Gayle who has really gone above and beyond to make it sound like they are on the telephone and the change in the switch to video call later in the piece. 

The script is funny and heart-warming, and you feel comfortable with the people speaking and the fact that it sounds like they are on the phone to you as well. There are awkward pauses and silent parts when neither knows what to say or they are thinking of a topic to discuss, just like a real-life phone call. 

Dessa as Gina and Ross O’Donnellan as Simon have great vocal range and really display empathy for one another, along with providing humour in the piece. You can also hear the panic in O’Donnellan’s voice when he is worrying about Gina making a situation about sending him a picture. 

Misty, played by Emily Carewe, is a welcome addition to the phone call and also to the plot and although her part is small, she really helps to solve issues between Gina and Simon without saying a word. 

The audio play is 35-minutes long and is a great listen. They suggest that you listen with a door frame and some plasters nearby (the plasters trick is very interesting!) as there is a ‘try-this-at-home’ section if you wish to do so. It is free to listen and it is definitely worth checking out, Besties! 

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Emma Littler