Gobby: Tending to talk too loudly and in a blunt or opinionated way.
Bri has always talked too much and too loudly. She’s been nicknamed ‘Gobby’ for as long as she can remember. But at some point, she stopped letting it out and instead, kept it in. Writer and performer, Jodie Irvine, brings her own wit and style to broach the rarely-voiced subject of gaslighting and its psychologically depletive consequences. The stage festooned with bunting, balloons and paper cups, Bri invites us to join her on a tour of five parties over two years which mark her healing journey from the repercussions of a toxic relationship.
Imaginatively and resourcefully, with just a handful of accents and plenty of party paraphernalia, Irvine conjures up a colourful cast of friends and acquaintances and some original accessories – a fun hat cocktail shaker, talking balloon heads, a party blower moustache and poppers which not only serve to vent anger but also punctuate the five part(ie)s of her story. She creates an assortment of wonderfully vivid roles including posh ex-flatmate Anna, drunk party girl, uncaring crush Matt and new best friend Beth (hard not to visualise Gavin and Stacey’s Nessa there). The use of music and lighting – clearly a given at parties – adds shape to the narrative while doing some creative underlining of mood.
The show touches on several topics which are often hard to discuss. Why do we need to be noticed, accepted or care what people think of us? Why can’t we be happy as we are?
Bri seems to mourn her ‘loud’ assertiveness which has been undermined by her previous boyfriend; no one close to her realised and she lost the confidence to speak out and ask for help. So how did she have the strength to leave? That would be interesting to develop. She addresses the effects of emotional abuse and Bri’s recovery but how she became submissive is left mainly to our imagination. And although the discovery of ‘self-awareness’ is Bri’s lightbulb moment, her speech about blame and gratitude is a deeper, more involved view with a thoughtful and positive conclusion. It goes without saying that it is beneficial to start any conversation which can throw a lifeline of recognition and understanding.
Irvine’s writing encompasses the awkward and painful reality of all types of relationships with anecdotal humour. Her honest and naturally comic acting combined with Rosie Snell’s meticulous direction produces an engaging and enjoyable show even though, when it digs into the darker areas, the message becomes blurred.
“combines drag, sci-fi and innuendo galore to create the perfect foil for the abundance of family-friendly shows on for the holidays”
It is the year 2050. Earth is no more and is instead known as Planet Trash, the dumping ground for the entire universe. East London drag queen Ginger Johnson and her 28-year-old son Sonny (David Cumming) are its last survivors and spend their days foraging through rubbish. That is until an impending solar flare threatens to obliterate the planet and a discarded weapon that the Intergalactic Government is desperate to get its hands on. Cue the arrival of the Captain of the Star Corp voyager (Mairi Houston) and the ambiguously gendered Private P. P. Parts (Mahatma Khandi).
Their quest, however, soon turns sour when an army of mutant turkeys decide to seek revenge on the human race for having eaten them at Christmases past. Now, it’s up to Ginger and Sonny to save the day and stop the eradication of mankind. Sink the Pink’s brand-new seasonal production Escape From Planet Trash combines drag, sci-fi and innuendo galore to create the perfect foil for the abundance of family-friendly shows on for the holidays.
Johnson and Cumming are the strongest in their roles, with the former having no trouble working the crowd. The rest of the cast sadly do not always seem sure of themselves or their lines. The plot that is set up in the play’s opening scenes is unfortunately rather quickly forgotten. Loose ends are rife in this production and the solar flare and ever-so-important weapon hardly get a look-in.
There are some moments of serious commentary. The play reflects on the climate crisis and capitalist greed and drag artists Maxi More and Lavinia Co-op join the cast as two dark tourists travelling the galaxy. Silliness however wins out in Escape From Planet Trash but without a solid narrative – which Ginger in fact jokes about the play needing – it is hard to be fully invested.
The set is multi-tiered with characters able to ascend and descend several sets of stairs. This makes for some dynamic visuals even when little else is happening on stage. To the left of the stage, the entrance to a sewer pipe and, above it, the interior of Star Corp’s spaceship. To the right, the tin shack house of Ginger and Sonny complete with rooftop terrace and light-up HOME sign. The centre of the stage sits on a rotating platform which allows for some great reveals such as Lavinia tap dancing as the Johnson’s home spins around. The set did pose a few hiccups including the shack’s door swinging open unexpectedly and revealing actors preparing for the next scene.
The lighting (Clancy Flynn) is solid throughout and used atmospherically. Costumes (Julia Smith) are a lot of fun with Ginger wearing a particularly ostentatious white plastic see through mesh bodysuit with a clear plastic overcoat.
The musical direction (Sarah Bodalbhai) is overall very strong. A rendition of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life from Monty Python’s Life of Brian (which the cast sing to a literal piece of shit played by Lavinia) that ends with a reference to the ‘dis-gus-tang’ video meme is a definite highlight. All the songs are a real blast though the cast do struggle to get the audience to sing along even at moments which beg for it. A finale song would also be good to round off the show in true pantomime fashion.
Escape From Planet Trash is a barrel of laughs and as silly as it is campy. Though the production lacks polish at times, you would be hard-pressed to not enjoy Sink the Pink’s newest endeavour.
