Chatterbox - still talking nonsense

I caught Paper Cut in preview, and with the lead (Callum Mardy as Kyle) apparently battling a grotty cold.     This is playing in the studio at the Park Theatre and had an audience of 40 or 50 people (I started counting but got distracted) so with no interval there was no opportunity to sneak out for an ice-cream or g&t when it all got a bit tough.     The play is set in the context of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ about a US soldier, wounded by an IED in Afghanistan (the ‘paper cut’ of the title) returning home.     With a disability, a huge amount of anger and drugs, and with a gun in his bag, we watch Kyle navigate his difficult relationship with his brother (Joe Bolland), the soldier he loved but now also discharged due to his sexuality (Prince Kundai),  and a potential new love (Tobie Donovan) who also represents wider society’s understanding and treatment of these men.     There’s a strong sense of camaraderie and love and some great blea...