Laurels Theatre Whitley Bay – until 4th May 2024
Reviewed by Sandra Little
5*****
This autobiographical play is written and performed by Sam Macgregor and Jack Robertson and is directed by Eilish Stout-Cairns. It was first performed at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2023 and is based on Sam’s true life experience of living with Alopecia. Sam plays himself in this play and Jack plays all of the other larger than life characters that enter Sam’s life.
The play begins with a very funny, yet poignant, eulogy for lost hair and Sam explains that hair loss really does create feelings of loss and grieving. The audience then witness Sam’s experience when visiting an extremely unhelpful doctor who suggests red meat and spinach could be the solution to Sam’s Alopecia!
Other scenes are based on Sam’s experience of dating when bald and for this part of the play Jack’s portrayal of prospective Geordie girlfriends is incredibly funny, and includes some very cringeworthy comments about Sam’s hair loss and the wig he chooses to wear. Within this very amusing dialogue serious issues about hair loss are considered.
The spoof of “ The One Show” continues the hilarious but also upsetting theme that runs through the narrative. The audience witnesses Sam being interviewed by a Geordie One Show presenter and there’s a great bit of dancing from Sam at the end of this scene!
Towards the end of this play the audience are introduced to Sam’s agent and are told about Sam’s acting and modelling offers. The blue paint story was fascinating and funny for a host of reasons!
Included in this hilarious script is a great deal of serious and interesting information about Alopecia and our views of body image and beauty in relation to hair are questioned. Apparently there is very little research relating to Alopecia and yet, as Sam explains, our hair gives us an identity and confidence whereas people with Alopecia have lower self esteem, a poorer quality of life and poorer body image.
This play is based very firmly on Sam’s experience of living with Alopecia, and whilst these observations were often told in a very amusing and entertaining way, the important serious messages were never far from the surface.
This one hour play performed by two actors with a few basic props was one of the best pieces of drama I have seen in a while! It made me laugh, and almost cry on occasions. This play is funny and entertaining but equally there are aspects of the script that really tug at the heart strings. It definitely deserves to move to a bigger theatre and be available to a wider audience after its run at Laurels.