FLIP! at the Soho Theatre
★★★★
“Racheal Ofori’s script is tight, and feels fresh and current”
In a punchy and peppy two-woman show, Flip! explores the dark underbelly of online content creation.
Best friends Carleen (Leah St Luce) and Crystal (Jadesola Odunjo) host a trendy, talk show style podcast. But while Crystal has dreams of fame, and has few qualms with trying to get it, Carleen is not so sure. As the girls struggle to make traction with their channel, the controversial ‘Flip’, an instant-fame video content platform with murky AI terms and conditions, looks increasingly tempting. The story evolves into a slightly predictable cautionary tale which asks how far these women are willing to go to chase their notoriety, and what does that look like in this digital age.
Emily Aboud’s direction is energetic and fun. It feels a lot like an online video, with KJ’s bright pastel lighting design and Eliyana Evans’ boppy pop sound design complementing this aesthetic. The two actors dance, prance, and act out memes in consistently entertaining short sharp scenes. The messaging is a bit obvious, and combined with the cast multi-rolling and creating live soundscapes, it does occasionally veer towards the GCSE drama end of things. However, there are some brilliant touches – every swear word is bleeped, the ‘shots’ they drink are toy milk bottles, and the way they show the difference between AI generated content and reality is really smart.
Racheal Ofori’s script is tight, and feels fresh and current. Some of the characterisation is lacking a bit, but the jokes land and the story is simply and cleverly shown.
It’s the performances that really make this production pop. St Luce and Odunjo speak and move in synch, spill fast paced tea and seem to be having as much fun as the audience. Some of the more serious moments feel a bit forced, but the genuine joy balances it out beautifully.
The set and costume (Anna Robinson) are simple but effective, as the actors need no more than two stools and some drawers to bring this show to life.
While it might not be saying anything brand new, the commentary in this play feels relevant and on moment. The risks around AI content creation are very real, and questions about its future implementation and impact are crucial to ask. It’s fun, while making a troubling point about consent in the digital era.
FLIP! at the Soho Theatre
Reviewed on 10th November 2023
by Auriol Reddaway
Photography by Tristram Kenton
Previously reviewed at this venue:
Boy Parts | ★★★★ | October 2023
Brown Boys Swim | ★★★½ | October 2023
Strategic Love Play | ★★★★★ | September 2023
Kate | ★★★★★ | September 2023
Eve: All About Her | ★★★★★ | August 2023
String V Spitta | ★★★★ | August 2023
Bloody Elle | ★★★★★ | July 2023
Peter Smith’s Diana | ★ | July 2023
Britanick | ★★★★★ | February 2023
Le Gateau Chocolat: A Night at the Musicals | ★★★★ | January 2023
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