★★★★

“short and sweet with a clear and precise character arc and message”

Madeleine (Eleanor Greene) is a spoilt Gen Z teen living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan channelling a little bit of Blair Waldorf mixed with a heavy dose of Julia Fox – and actually more than a passing resemblance to a blend of them both too. At sixteen, she acts much older than she is; thinking it’s impressive to get into nightclubs underage and spewing #girlboss mantras like ‘everybody is a business, and life’s moments are a marketing opportunity’. She’s pretty despicable, but in a conscious ‘love-to-hate-her’ sort of way.

Because whilst she may be financially privileged, she’s also had to grow up fast. Between diatribes about the losers in her private school milieu and boasts about how popular she is with boys, we learn that Madeleine’s mother is never around, and no mention of a father-figure. Madeleine convincingly tells us she would much prefer a mum who she doesn’t see for weeks, who leaves the house for SoulCycle at 5am before her job at the hedge fund, because that’s boss bitch energy. It’s easy to see through the bravado.

But what Madeleine is really here to tell us about is what happened to her friend Maria last year at the annual house party where senior boys select a freshman girl each to have sex with. It’s reminiscent of the Brock Turner case from 2016, where a Stanford swimmer was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman at a frat party. Whilst one might assume that the #metoo movement that closely followed this case and subsequent cultural conversations about consent might have made things more transparent for young women exploring their sexuality. But much of what Madeleine and Maria experience as adolescents feels all too familiar, despite the generational divide between her and the majority of the audience.

The slight edge in this piece is the exploration of Madeleine’s potential complicity in what happened. In her blasé manner she makes it clear nothing is her fault. But perhaps she can’t countenance that she may have been partly to blame for what happened to her friend.

Eleanor Greene has confidence and ease on stage, comfortable indulging in the quiet moments to build tension as she scrolls tiktok, takes selfies for Snapchat, or replies to her boyfriend, with the ridiculous name Braxton Dupont. Her constant refrain ‘I have to take this’, whenever she gets a message about the plans for the club later is hilarious. Collaborating with Director Alex Prescot, they get the privilege teen apathy vibe bang on, particularly through the choice of Lana Del Ray hits that accompany the tiktok doom scroll.

Girls Really Listen to Me is short and sweet with a clear and precise character arc and message. Whilst it may be difficult at first to have any empathy for this privileged princess from the off, its exploration of adolescence and womanhood proves there is more unity to be found than first meets the eye.

GISELLE: REMIX at the Pleasance Theatre

★★★★★

“a must-see – a piece of queer performance that is not to be missed”

Adolphe Adam’s romantic ballet Giselle tells the story of a young peasant girl who falls in love with the disguised duke, Albrecht. Driven mad by the revelation of his true identity, Giselle joins the deadly sisterhood of the Wilis, the ghosts of spurned women who seek revenge on their former lovers by dancing men to their deaths. GISELLE: REMIX – created by Jack Sears and Hannah Grennell and produced by Molly McGeachin at The Project People – reworks these universal themes of love and the loss of innocence through a queer perspective, reimagining Giselle (Sears) as a heartbroken queer individual who turns to the community’s sometimes overly sexual nightlife to satisfy their need for belonging.

Accompanied by a lively dance troupe (Harri Eiffert, Elle Fierce, Spike King and Marie Astrid Mence), Giselle explores her feelings of shame, assimilation and anger before eventually finding comfort in the camaraderie of the queer community, looking up to her elders and setting an example of queer joy and liberation for the next generation.

GISELLE: REMIX is a tour de force of lip sync, comedy, dance and cabaret. The choreography – a collaboration between Sears, Grennell and the troupe – is truly wonderful. The cast’s energy is incredible – the dancers writhe around the stage with outstanding finesse and Sears provides a powerful focal point. A particular highlight is a highly erotic dance to Anal Sex by Only Fire – the cast move seamlessly together, using their few bodies to successfully create the feeling of a packed, sweaty club. The production is accompanied by a brilliant soundtrack of queer icons and hyperpop bangers from Natalie Cole to the late SOPHIE.

The show features some wonderfully playful sound design (Rhys Cook AKA Oberon White) – most memorable being a hilarious mashup between sounds from male gay porn and famous declarations of love from television and film. The lighting (Lucy Adams) is masterfully atmospheric – it changes flawlessly between scenes and the mood on stage.

The set (Blythe Brett) is very plain – a round stage that has audience seated at its very edges for maximum engagement opportunities. There are no props and only rare appearances from a stool. Good use however is made of the stages various entrances and exits – the troupe regularly disappear and reappear from a staircase at the back of the stage as well as tumbling from the left, right and back for more dynamic entrances.

The costumes (Laura Rose Moran-Morris) are well conceived. The cast begin wearing soft pastels and tulle ballerina skirts before casting these off in favour of leather and fetish wear. Their movements also change significantly throughout the show – what was once smooth is now erratic; Giselle’s innocence from the opening scenes completely discarded. Sears puts on an especially amazing performance when dressed in a gimp suit, lip syncing aggressively to a rather frightening audio about various fetishes. Positioned on all fours, he bangs and grips the floor and fabric around him, violently ejecting a near-nonsensical stream of conscious.

My only criticism is that of the guest performer. Each show is to feature a guest performer – Kit Green, Jonny Woo, or Lavinia Co-op – depending on the date and the foremost present for press night. GISELLE: REMIX began with a lip sync from Green that was unfortunately wholly lacklustre.

Their choice of song was far too slow and though they injected some humour through breaking their lip sync and requesting the audience undress them, their asides were lost on anyone not in the very front row. Their performance was also quickly forgotten when the commanding stage presence of Sears and the captivating movement of the dance troupe took over. Green appeared again at the very end of the show – offering a comforting hand to Giselle-cum-Sears as they realised the power in standing united with your fellow marginalised people, but their particular presence added no real value. Hopefully, subsequent guests bring a matching vigour to the show.

GISELLE: REMIX is a must-see – a piece of queer performance that is not to be missed. It is exciting to think of what Sears, Grennell and The Project People may do next.

GIRLS REALLY LISTEN TO ME at the Pleasance Theatre

★★★★

“short and sweet with a clear and precise character arc and message”

GIRLS REALLY LISTEN TO ME at the Pleasance Theatre

Reviewed on 20th May 2024

by Amber Woodward

Previously reviewed at this venue:

GIRLS REALLY LISTEN TO ME

GIRLS REALLY LISTEN TO ME

GISELLE: REMIX at the Pleasance Theatre

★★★★★

“a must-see – a piece of queer performance that is not to be missed”

GISELLE: REMIX at the Pleasance Theatre

Reviewed on 12th April 2024

by Flora Doble

Photography by Ali Wright

Previously reviewed at this venue:

GISELLE: REMIX

GISELLE: REMIX