Reviews

I've owned this play for quite a while, but coincidentally happened to read it at the perfect moment to resonate with its message. The plot is about a marriage which is breaking down and the reconciliation of the partners. However, its main value, to me, can be summarised in the following words: "What we know of other people / Is only our memory of the moments / During which we knew them." The Cocktail Party is about secrets and perceptions. It deals with how we portray ourselves to others and how this can be very different from our reality. It reminds us that sometimes it's better to hold on to our image and memory of someone than tarnish it with the truth. This is a timeless truth, but perhaps it has never been more relevant than in the age of curated Instagram pages. Just think how different people's impression of your life would be if you were forced to take a photo of whatever is in front of you and upload it to social media every hour. Yet our impressions are continuously constructed by the moments in which we know people, and by the moments they choose to share with us.

izmadi's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Good play

A very interesting piece of absurdist theater. I loved how the author made use of few characters, some wisdom, apparent nonsense and bits of humor all throughout the play.

sarabovreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

a short little story about ppl i hardly care about

More...