Alphabetti Theatre Newcastle – until 11th December 2021
Reviewed by Sandra Little
4****
This play is a one woman comedy drama set in Penrith, Cumbria. It is written and performed by Hannah Sowerby who plays 19 year old Jodie. We learn that most of Jodie’s friends have left Penrith to go to uni and she finds herself living a dreary life with her elderly nana and shelf stacking at Sainsbury’s!
Jodie is not at all happy with her life and struggles to think of 10 things to do in Penrith! She tells us that she lives above a kebab shop and not “a grand Manor House by the side of a lake.”
Jodie finds herself questioning her sexuality and is often attracted to other women, however the only woman available in Penrith is her friend’s mam. This meeting does not go well but is probably one of the funniest parts of the play. On another occasion Jodie goes to a strange static caravan with a male resident of Penrith; another liaison that does not go well!
To help deal with her mental health issues Jodie has counselling sessions with a fairly incompetent counsellor. Jodie thinks her counsellor,”gets her phrases from Card Factory” and during one session her counsellor suggests “colouring in” to help Jodie deal with her mental health issues.
This play is staged in the round in a tiny theatre with a “pay what you feel” policy. The set consists of numerous cardboard boxes that are used to good effect and contain some very interesting props! It lasts for about 80 minutes and is a very funny, fast paced, one woman show which includes some hilarious one liners. However there are also some serious issues, including grief and mental illness, woven into the trivia of Jodie’s daily life. Themes of a sexual nature are also included and the play is recommended for over 16s.
I found this play really enjoyable and very funny. Do not be fooled by the rather genteel title of this production, more serious themes are included and are quite thought provoking. I was able to empathise with Jodie and her tribulations and the 80 minute performance seemed to go by very quickly. I found the ending of the play quite uplifting.