Pleasance Theatre, London N7 – until Thursday 31st October 2024
Reviewed by Phil Brown
3***
On paper, the idea of using the London postcodes as the structure for an autobiographical exploration of one’s life in the capital, seems not only interesting, but inspired. And it cunningly offers scope to update the content as time goes by. To present it in an interactive style for the audience to choose which postcodes to examine is a really clever touch.
On stage though, I felt this otherwise well performed show didn’t fully follow through on the initial promise of the concept. The audience was engaged and responsive throughout but, overall, the show was more quietly amusing than uproariously funny. Still well worth seeking out, especially considering we only experienced around 50% of the full story.
16 Postcodes is on a limited run at the quirky Pleasance Theatre in North London after a well reviewed stint at the Edinburgh fringe. It’s a 60 minute (no break) one woman show by Irish expatriate, Jessica Regan, very ably supported by a sound engineer.
Jessica Regan is undoubtedly a fluent, natural and engaging storyteller with the ability to sell damp or vermin solutions to all of her many landlords. She has a nice turn of phrase on occasion and can drop into character with ease. There could have more of these facets in the course of the show which was mostly descriptive, and occasionally came across as a script recital.
The stage set is simple – the 16 Postcodes in question (from Acton to Walthamstow) are listed on cards pegged to a line of fairy lights along the back wall. Having introduced her first exposure to postcodes (which apparently don’t exist in Ireland outside of Dublin) as being the boy band E17, Jessica then set about her initial experiences as a 22 year old in London applying for and being accepted by drama school. After that came Acton followed by audience choice. I think we got through Stamford Hill, Hammersmith, Primrose Hill, Brixton, Camberwell and finally Walthamstow which completes the circle back to boy band E17! Personally, if asked, I would have liked to have heard about Surbiton which seems slightly out of place amongst the inner London locations…
20 years in London and 16 different postcodes tells a somewhat depressing story that might well feature on “The News Where You Are” one evening at six thirty. Respect to Jessica for her resilience in pursuing a performing career in one of the most precarious professions there is, not to mention a settled home life in London. In common with many performers who use adversity for material she has at least got a show out of the hard times, and one that I think could keep growing into something very special.