Review: Let’s Catch Up (play) by Victor Cheng
Dr. Victor Cheng completed his part-time PhD in Continuing Education at Warwick University in 2005 and has been working as a Human Resources Specialist in London since he graduated from his MA in Training and Human Resources Development in 1998.
His play, Let’s Catch Up, is very much based on his own experiences whilst he was studying at university. With themes of Lost Love, Lust, Ups and Downs of Friendship, experiencing and causing Heartbreak, along with the complexity and naivety of being, and wanting to be, a free spirit in his 20s.
The relationships between the characters are marvellously entangled and create a multi-layered body of work, whose technical balance is proved by the vivid descriptions. Full of twist and turns that make it very interesting to read, it keeps the reader glued to the pages until the very end.
Dr. Cheng hopes that when the person/people reading or watching this play, will be taken back to the happiest time of their life whilst they were studying in university (for the more mature audience); and (for the younger generation) be able to relate to the key character and have lots in common with them.
Key Characters include:
Luke – Works as a Human Resources Consultant in one of the biggest investment banks in the city. He has been working in London since he graduated with his master degree from Warwick University in 2007. He also managed to finish his part-time Research Degree in 2013. He is in his mid-thirty and has recently broken up with his long-term Spanish partner.
Anita – A Principal Lecturer of Social Science at Imperial College, she met Luke when they were studying for their Master at Warwick University. They spent practically every night during the whole academic year in the Union bar. She also met Tony at the same party that Luke met Michael, who was very messed up mentally. They had a very brief sexual relationship after the party. Anita and Luke have been very close friends since they met at Warwick.
Sebastian – A very successful and handsome Investment Banker who works in a global Investment Banking firm in London. According to Sebastian, he and Luke met on many occasions at Warwick University, however, Luke has no recollection of them being introduced.
Desmond – A good looking mixed race Singaporean, who has a Chinese mother and Italian father. His parents are well known Human Rights Lawyers internationally and they owe a very big and successful global law firm in
Singapore. He has the best features from both his parents – blue eyes, 1.87 m tall with very soft and smooth skin. He went to a boarding school for his primary and secondary education. In simple term, he was born with a silver
spoon in his mouth.
Colin – White British male who is ten years older than Luke. He is a Department Director at Sunderland University, is slim and tall with a goatee bear and has zero sense of fashion.
Michael – Tony’s flatmate and best friend. The person who Luke had a quick fling with before he met Desmond. A typical middle class Jewish man who is struggled with his sexuality.
SETTING THE SCENE
It is not long after Luke graduated from his BA Business Studies that a leading international infrastructure group offers him a role as a Human Resources Assistant. He decides, however, not to take this post and continues his postgraduate degree at University of Warwick. In the twelve months that follow, he meets one of his best friends who he maintains that connection with throughout his life and has his heart broken twice. The play look back on the ups and downs of Luke’s friendship with Anita and his love life during his twenties. It also explicates the best time of his life as a student and reminisces about the good and bad times he had with his love of his life Desmond at Warwick University and the relationship with Colin from Newcastle before he moves down to London.
Luke is waiting for Anita in one of the pubs in Soho, London. She is an university friend from Warwick, they were in the same course and their friendship developed when she moved to campus in the middle of Spring Term. Anita lived on the Third Floor, Luke lived just below her. Anita and Luke spent almost every night together until they finished their Master.
Anita and Luke had lost contact for five years for no particular reason during 2014 to 2019. They did not argue or have a big fall out, it is just one of those things that happens in life, C’est La Vie! Anita is now a Principal Lecturer at one of the universities and she has recently published her first academic book.
Luke has been working in London as a Human Resource Consultant for over 15 years and has recently broken up with his long-term Spanish partner.
Anita’s really living up to her reputation, she is already an hour late! Although she has the tendency to show up at least 45 mins after the agreed time, she always shows up in the end but the problem is when!
Luke is sitting in a bar waiting for Anita. On his left, there is a clean shaven, blue eyes, blonde haired man, he is very handsome and he is drinking his whisky, the kind of typical man that Luke goes for. He also looks familiar but Luke can’t remember when and where they crossed path.
Luke keeps looking at his watch impatiently and is constantly staring the bar entry.
With flashback scenes of their university accommodation and the student union bar, we hear of Mario (another guy that Luke had a long-term relationship with for 15 years but they broke up two months prior to catching up with Anita) and Tony (Anita’s boyfriend, white male from East London (Cockney) who is studying MA Social Work at the time).
Summary
With quite a few grammatical and spelling errors so unfortunately this play is somewhat hard to follow but the concept and plot remain strong and clever. An entertaining and relatable story, with various plot streams, this play would be best suited as a show as part of a fringe festival, perhaps in one act.
For more details on the play and author, you can find it on Amazon.
