HAPPY ENDING

Riverside Studios

★★★★

“Corcoran’s writing is slick, biting and devilishly funny in equal measure”

Everyone deserves happiness, right? Cameron Corcoran seems to think so in his play, ‘Happy Ending’ – though it’s not necessarily the ending you expect.

This pithy, first-person, one-woman play dives straight into the life of ‘Ariel’, a no-holds barred sex worker who grabs our attention as tightly as she might one of her clients (!). She candidly reflects on her life and the choices that got her here with disarming frankness and humour. As the play progresses, cracks appear in her outwardly perky demeanour, until a pivotal decision snaps her blurry world into focus and forces her to confront a reality she would rather suppress.

Produced by Off Main Stage company as part of Bitesize Festival, ‘Happy Ending’ is a sharp and absorbing take on serious themes including sex work, psychological defence mechanisms and the slipperiness of reality. But it’s far from gloomy – Corcoran’s writing is slick, biting and devilishly funny in equal measure, punctuated by well-timed, incisive and rather racy jokes. The prose cleverly reveals and conceals. The entire show is in first person with Ariel confiding in the audience as if to a close friend. It’s never made clear who we are or why we are in her confidence, but that’s the point: we only exist as far as Ariel requires us to, trapped in her warped reality as much as she is.

There are a couple of writing elements which work less well. The ending, though impactful in its brevity, feels a tad abrupt since the emotional build up is much meatier than the resolution. Secondly, I want to dig deeper into Ariel’s motivations and history, but she never lets us in that far. Finally, Ariel bears the full burden of responsibility for the perceived negative impact she has on her male clients’ lives without exploring any male accountability, which I find frustrating.

That said, the direction by Anastasia Bunce and assistant director Isabelle Tyner is fantastic. Ariel addresses the audience directly with lots of sustained eye contact which I couldn’t help but meet. The chumminess of her delivery contrasts deliciously with the fantastical illusion she creates. The lack of fourth wall is ironic as Ariel believes she IS a wall of sorts (go see it, you’ll get what I mean). Pacing is used to great effect, racing through the more outlandish opening section as if in a rush to build her world, before pulling back and sinking into more vulnerable moments.

Helena Harrison sparkles as Ariel. She flits from witty to brazen to charming without batting an eyelid, landing her jokes with excellent comic timing and satisfying grit. The opening section is so slick, not a single moment is lost despite the rapid pace. Harrison knows exactly when to draw us in with a subtle pause here, a slight frown there to show the mask slipping, and builds tension and pain throughout the emotional climax. She perhaps could have brought a touch more light and shade to the emotional revelation scene for even more impact, but overall Harrison should be commended on a fantastic performance.

The staging is simple and symbolic: a bed and a chair represent fantasy and reality respectively. Flick Isaac Chilton’s sound design skilfully fills any visual gap, locating us immediately with vivid audio moments. The array of sound effects is impressively deployed, adding an almost dreamlike quality. There is symbolism in Hannah Clancy’s lighting design too, transitioning from bright, almost gaudy pinks, to nightclub strobe, to more sombre cool tones as the piece progresses. The costumes add a further layer of depth. Ironically the more authentically we see Ariel, the more ‘covered up’ she is, further blurring our perception of her.

Charming yet clandestine, raw yet regulated, ‘Happy Ending’ is a powerful piece of theatre in the hands of a highly skilled team. Despite my plot reservations, it’s a fascinating, absorbing and funny watch. I highly recommend getting to know Ariel – though you may leave with more questions than you started.

HAPPY ENDING

Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 11th July 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Anastasia Bunce

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

DEAR ANNIE, I HATE YOU | ★★★★ | May 2025

THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK | ★★★★★ | May 2025

SISYPHEAN QUICK FIX  | ★★★ | March 2025

SECOND BEST | ★★★★ | February 2025

HERE YOU COME AGAIN | ★★★★ | December 2024

DECK THE STALLS | ★★★ | December 2024

THE UNSEEN | ★★★★ | November 2024

FRENCH TOAST | ★★★★ | October 2024

KIM’S CONVENIENCE | ★★★ | September 2024

THE WEYARD SISTERS | ★★ | August 2024

HAPPY ENDING

★★★

“there is a lightness to this interpretation, and a guarded feel that at times shields its essence”

Rather than her novels, Simone de Beauvoir’s most enduring contribution to literature are her memoirs. It is no surprise, therefore, that the novelist, philosopher and feminist activist’s works of fiction also contain strong elements of autobiography. Particularly her early novella, “The Inseparables”, which describes her relationship with her classmate – Elizabeth Lacoin. Also known as ‘Zaza’, she crops up in other novels in disguised form, so it is evident that she had a lasting impact on de Beauvoir’s life. “The Inseparables” was never published during her lifetime. Jean Paul Sartre disapproved of it, and it was deemed ‘too intimate’ at the time. There has been much conjecture since as to whether they were ‘just friends’. There is no evidence of a physical relationship, but it is hard to deny that there was an attraction and erotic tension between the two of them.

Grace Joy Howarth’s stage adaptation is a faithful recreation of the adolescent relationship, although it does little to suggest why it was considered too provocative for publication in the nineteen-fifties. Set during, and just after, the first world war in France, it kicks off with the first encounter between schoolgirl Sylvie Lapage and new pupil, Andrée Gaillard. Sylvie had previously prayed for an end to the war, but the answer arrives in the form of this beguiling new classmate. Lara Manela captures Andrée’s playful tone, and Ayesha Ostler, as Sylvie is suitably captivated. Both portray the wide-eyed wonder of nine-year-olds without seeming childish. The subtle mannerisms illustrate the precociousness, but neither is afraid to wallow in youthful exuberance.

Sylvie (the fictional de Beauvoir) is bored and intellectually lonely, so meeting this clever, irreverent girl changes her life. Andrée is physically confident and has a talent for literature and music. It is easy to see why Sylvie would be attracted, and likewise Andrée’s fascination with Sylvie’s vulnerability that Ostler conveys so convincingly. However, beyond this, the chemistry is somewhat lacking, barely penetrating the intellectual veneer. Sylvie talks as much to the audience as to Andrée, which is a neat device that director Anastasia Bunce uses to good effect, but the writing leaves little room for the underlying eroticism and tension. The scenes are short and sharp, sometimes leaving the two, multi-rolling supporting cast – Caroline Trowbridge and Alexandre Costet-Barmada – breathless from their rebounding entrances and exits.

The second act finds the girls on the cusp of adulthood, Andrée now betrothed to Pascal Blondel (a slightly restrained Costet-Barmada). The tables have turned, and Sylvie is supposed to be the more subversive influence. The play never really gets to grips with the rebelliousness, and we are distanced further from the knowledge that these characters are representations of historically significant individuals. We are steered towards some poignancy in the final scenes, but the sense of inseparableness is never fully realised by Ostler and Manela. When Sylvie declares of Andrée that “life without her would be death”, the words aren’t quite supported by the emotion.

Abraham Walking-Lea’s lighting evokes the setting, reinforced by Jessica Brauner’s more literal video backdrops. Metaphorical flourishes are thrown in by Bunce, sometimes illuminating (the symbolic significance of Andrée’s violin); at other times confusing (the scattering of roses to depict an act of self-harm). But overall, there is a lightness to this interpretation, and a guarded feel that at times shields its essence. With its engaging central performances, it glides safely through the pivotal episodes of the novel. The story calls for a less gentle ride though. With more passion. The original question of whether they were ‘just friends’ is left unaddressed and long forgotten. But we do get a good feel of the camaraderie, and mutual regard, even if we are not quite convinced that they are inseparable.

HAPPY ENDING

Riverside Studios

★★★★

“Corcoran’s writing is slick, biting and devilishly funny in equal measure”

HAPPY ENDING

Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 11th July 2025

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Anastasia Bunce

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

HAPPY ENDING

HAPPY ENDING

HAPPY ENDING

THE INSEPERABLES

Finborough Theatre

★★★

“there is a lightness to this interpretation, and a guarded feel that at times shields its essence”

THE INSEPERABLES

Finborough Theatre

Reviewed on 17th April 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by A.J. Halsey and Melanie Silva

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE INSEPERABLES

THE INSEPERABLES

THE INSEPERABLES

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