★★★

“There are some lovely moments in this one woman show, but it doesn’t quite get below the surface of the subject matter”

This endearing exploration of a teenage football fan’s identity ultimately feels a little toothless.

Lizzie is an English Coventry supporter. But she’s also half Scottish, and half Indian, and a 13-year-old girl in a very white town in 1996. These parts of her identity clash together, as she struggles to find her place as an atypical football fan.

The premise is clear but the story goes exactly the way you’d expect. Hannah Kumari’s script is littered with 1990s references, from CK1 perfume to a dance number from the U.K.’s ‘96 Eurovision entry. It’s grounded in its world, but the decision to set it in this era feels a little random and does nothing to avoid inevitable Bend it Like Beckham comparisons.

Nikhita Lesler’s performance is charming, but its peppy naivety leaves little room for the introspection which might bring more depth and complexity to the show. There is a warmth to her performance though, which sets the tone and means the play isn’t overwhelmingly bleak. Equally, it makes it feel tame.

This is amplified by Max Lindsay’s direction which lacks any pause for reflection. There’s a gut punching revelation, which isn’t quite earned in the general tone up until then and so somehow feels like a cheap reveal. The range of characters, and caricatures, is deftly handled, and there are some witty moments as Lizzie struggles around other people in her life. There are also some genuinely moving moments, but the strongest are when Lizzie interacts with others, rather than her slightly forced audience asides.

The play is produced by FSA and Fans for Diversity which explains why there are moments that feel like an advert for watching football. There’s a nod to the future, to 2024 when football culture (especially women’s football culture) has changed. I would’ve been more interested to see a contemporary take on this story and look at how much it really has changed for this character to go to football games, given the game is still so interlinked with racism and nationalism.

There are some lovely moments in this one woman show, but it doesn’t quite get below the surface of the subject matter. It’s sweet, and charming, but a little empty.

DIVA: LIVE FROM HELL! at the King’s Head Theatre

★★★★

“There is much to enjoy in this camp morality tale about the true cost of being a Diva”

Diva: Live from Hell! is a dark musical comedy directed by Joe McNeice with musical direction by Debbi Clarke. The show follows Demond Charming (Luke Bayer) as he recounts his sordid tale, forced to perform the show for all eternity in hell. Adding to Charming’s discomfort, he plays all the characters and entertains solo on stage, taking his anger out on the band and audience. Bayer is a superb talent, debuting the score with technical prowess and presence, revelling in the delightfully evil character portrayal.

Bayer performs the various characters with consistent distinctions and switches between them with ease, from awkward stage manager Ally Hewitt to relaxed jock Evan Harris. Carrying on their characterisation through their singing voice, sometimes duetting with himself in an impressive display. As more characters are introduced we learn about the events leading to Charming’s damnation. Throughout Desmond is malicious and disparaging about fellow members of the Ronald Reagen high school drama club, revealing a conniving insecure wannabe star. Bayer makes no attempt to redeem Desmond, President of drama Club, with all the trappings of a catty student thespian; complete with pettiness and ego. The dissection of showbiz ambition and the nasty edge of teen drama queens is funny as much as it is biting; Desmond is in the 7th circle of hell for a reason. His story evokes a message of self-acceptance, responsibility and the importance of introspection. We watch Charming’s descent from grace as he embraces the label of Diva.

Surrounded by the infernal band, Desmond performs from a hellish vaudeville-esq stage, complete with red ringleader jacket in the opening number “I’m coming live from Hell”. The songs are catchy, well paced and distinct (Alexander Sage Oyen) with as much dancing (Anna Hale) as a solo performer can provide (yes there is Tap). A bank of lockers set the story in a timeless school somewhere in America (set and costume design by Pip Terry). There are ample references to American musical theatre legends like Patty LuPone and Kevin Klein, with send ups of iconic sequences and coming of age Highschool dramas. Some jokes and references fall into a niche category, but not distractingly so.

The tale is full of sound and fury with touches of seriousness. Nora Brigid Monahan writes a compelling humorous story with a bitchy, melodramatic and effeminate, Desmond who insists his feelings towards his attractive rival are entirely plutonic, going ballistic at the suggestion he has suppressed feelings. The setting of Hell is foreboding and dramatic, with Desmond satirising his life with gleeful lines “Have you read the script? Who are you, Lea Michelle?” and “I like to think I’m making Ronald Reagan proud”. There is much to enjoy in this camp morality tale about the true cost of being a Diva.

ENG-ER-LAND at the King’s Head Theatre

★★★

“There are some lovely moments in this one woman show, but it doesn’t quite get below the surface of the subject matter”

ENG-ER-LAND at the King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed on 31st July 2024

by Auriol Reddaway

Photography by Jack Jeffreys

Previously reviewed at this venue:

ENG-ER-LAND

ENG-ER-LAND

DIVA: LIVE FROM HELL! at the King’s Head Theatre

★★★★

“There is much to enjoy in this camp morality tale about the true cost of being a Diva”

DIVA: LIVE FROM HELL! at the King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed on 6th June 2024

by Jessica Potts

Photography by Danny With a Camera

Previously reviewed at this venue:

DIVA: LIVE FROM HELL!

DIVA: LIVE FROM HELL!