Flora Doble Archives - Page 23 of 41

Big Girl

Bread & Roses Theatre

Reviewed – 18th September 2020

★★★

“Rooney has great charisma and is clearly a born entertainer”

Big Girl is a one woman show written, directed, and delivered by the twenty-three-year-old Emily J Rooney. Produced by Ryan Wilce and Luke Mosely, Big Girl fuses stand-up comedy and spoken word to chronicle Rooney’s experience growing up as a fat, queer, working-class woman from Essex. Amusing anecdotes abound, Rooney unashamedly talks about her embarrassing and naïve past as she works towards self-acceptance with admirable candour.

Rooney establishes a rapport with the audience immediately. Before the show begins, Rooney greets them as they enter the door while she casually drinks tea and enjoys a biscuit. She says, in pre-Covid times, the audience would have been welcome to a biscuit too. Rooney has everyone captivated throughout her performance, her exuberant personality a joy to watch on stage.

She begins the show talking about her weight, specifically, when she realised that she was fat. Rooney then speaks about learning to love her body, and her desire to see a world that is free of the notion that skinny is better. In the show’s next section, Rooney explores her realisation of her position in the class hierarchy after going to university, before rounding off the show with a brief look at her queerness. Each new theme is introduced via short spoken word pieces, all of which are beautifully written though jarringly different in tone from the rest of the performance.

Rooney explores some interesting topics during her show but unfortunately many stories trail off and are left unresolved, the meaning that the audience is meant to take away, unclear. For example, the section on body positivity is suddenly interrupted by a discussion on Essex sub-culture, which would fit far more naturally into her next section on class. Her discussion on her weight and physical appearance is overall pretty brief, and her positive relationship with her size a sudden reality rather than a journey the audience sees unfold. The final section – apparently focusing on her sexuality – also has little direction, and her monologue here only related to her queerness by the references to her girlfriend.

Rooney does draw links between her class, queerness, and fatness through her experience of these culminating in her overwhelming desire to make sure people feel comfortable. However, so much more could be explored. For example, the intersection between class and fatness, and the stigma that is attached to this. Similarly, the complicated relationship between queerness and fatness and its association with butch culture, opposite to the traditionally feminine. More discussion on how her identities interplay and feed into one another would certainly be welcome.

The Bread & Roses Theatre in Clapham is a small space even during normal times, and, due to social distancing, this has been further restricted to a capacity of around 20 people. This works well to create an intimate relationship between Rooney and the audience and is well-suited for the casual delivery of her stories. The stage is on a raised platform and empty apart from a small table on the left-hand side for refreshments. No props are used, except a printed news report about BMI that she pulled from her bra and quickly discarded. The lighting is simple, only varying when dimmed and making a reddish hue during the spoken word.

Emily J Rooney has great charisma and is clearly a born entertainer. However, some more nuanced discussion on the intersection between her key themes – class, queerness and fatness – would elevate Big Girl to a new level.

Reviewed by Flora Doble

Main photo by Poppy Marriott

Big Girl

Bread & Roses Theatre until 19th September

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

Room Service | ★★★★★ | September 2019

The Bacchae | ★★★ | September 2019

Trial Of Love | ★★★½ | September 2019

By The Light Of The Moon | ★★★★ | October 2019

Smashing It! | ★★ | October 2019

The Gravy Bunch | ★★½ | October 2019

The Signalman | ★★★ | October 2019

Buzzing | ★★★★ | January 2020

All Of Us Want Something To Get Over | ★★★ | February 2020

F**k Off | ★★★★ | August 2020

Click here to see our most recent reviews

Pippin

The Garden Theatre

Reviewed – 17th September 2020

★★★★

“fast-paced and engaging”

These last seven months have taken a toll on the best of us, least of all this reviewer, who was beyond excited to have an energetic performance of the 1972 musical Pippin, directed by Steven Dexter, at The Garden Theatre in Vauxhall mark her return to attending live theatre. Upon taking my seat, the excitement in the air was palpable. Certainly, many in the audience will have felt the theatrical lacuna caused by lockdown restrictions. So, to begin, a thank you to all who worked towards making this show possible whilst abiding by the government’s safety guidelines.

Secondly, the show itself. Pippin follows the young prince Pippin (Ryan Anderson), son of the great leader Charlemagne (Dan Krikler), on his search for a significant and fulfilling life. Along the way, Pippin must contend with his self-obsessed stepbrother Lewis (Harry Francis) and his power-hungry stepmother Fastrada (Joanne Clifton) who have their eyes on the throne. Pippin must also navigate a mysterious fourth wall-breaking chorus led by the aptly named Leading Player (Tsemaye Bob-Egbe) whose motives are questionable to say the least. When Pippin meets the widow farm-owner Catherine (Tanisha-Mae Brown) and finds purpose in a simpler life, Pippin must confront what really makes him happy and whether his pursuit of ‘the extraordinary’ is really so wonderful at all.

The cast have great chemistry and work effortlessly together. Anderson’s range is phenomenal. He is as convincing when playing a son desperate to impress his nonchalant father as he is as an anguished young man torn between two drastically different life paths in his final scene. Clifton is also particularly strong in her role as Pippin’s grandmother Berthe, performing a lively and hilarious rendition of the song ‘No Time At All’ in which the audience were encouraged to sing along.

Psychedelic wall hangings and plants surround the courtyard that acts as the stage (David Shields). The stage itself is for the large part empty, excluding a bench and a set of boxes that are periodically set down to act as seating or dance apparatus. Incense burns throughout the performance and the cast are decked out in hippy garb, tying the ‘peace and love’ theme together nicely. Props are cleverly hidden amongst the foliage, the best of which is a tambourine which has a dual purpose of crown and instrument.

The performance space is surrounded by a plethora of different lighting. Fairy lights – both gold and blue – intermingle amongst the greenery and trellises while bulbed lights and a disco ball hang above centre stage. The lights are well-timed to flash and change colours to reflect the mood on stage.

The songs (Michael Bradley) are well performed and accompanied by dynamic choreography (Nick Winston). Krikler gives a standout performance of ‘War is a Science’ and the dancing is particularly strong during ‘On the Right Track’ performed by Anderson and Bob-Egbe. Brown provides good backing vocals before stepping into her own in the role of Catherine and the song ‘Kind of Woman’.

Pippin is a fast-paced and engaging musical, especially in its latter half, and the cast and crew should be proud of their spirited performance. Music and laughter abound, Pippin finds new meaning in these strange times, when we all have been forced to reflect on the simple pleasures of life and consider what truly makes us happy.

Bread & Roses Theatre

Reviewed – 18th September 2020

★★★

“Rooney has great charisma and is clearly a born entertainer”

Emily J Rooney has great charisma and is clearly a born entertainer. However, some more nuanced discussion on the intersection between her key themes – class, queerness and fatness – would elevate Big Girl to a new level.

Reviewed by Flora Doble

Main photo by Poppy Marriott

Big Girl

Bread & Roses Theatre until 19th September

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

The Garden Theatre

Reviewed – 17th September 2020

★★★★

“fast-paced and engaging”

Reviewed by Flora Doble

Photography by Bonnie Britain Photography

Pippin

The Garden Theatre until 11th October

Last ten shows reviewed by Flora: