Tag Archives: Riverside Studios

DEAR ANNIE, I HATE YOU

★★★★

Riverside Studios

DEAR ANNIE, I HATE YOU

Riverside Studios

★★★★

“Ipema is a wonderful storyteller. She leads us through her story with both humour and a certain poetry”

It’s a dangerous thing, walking out your front door. Especially for Sam — because there’s a ticking time bomb nestled in her brain. A clipped, but still very dangerous little aneurysm which she not-so-affectionately refers to as “Annie”.

Dear Annie, I Hate You is Sam Ipema’s autobiographical journey through young adulthood and the event that stopped her cold at just 20 years old. She weaves a lovely, warm tale about growing up with her adopted brother Micah, who lives with Down’s Syndrome. They pretend to be superheroes, they revel in imagination together, and he thinks of her as his own personal Batman — until Sam realises that other kids her age don’t think that’s cool anymore. She tells Micah to get his own friends, as she gets her own too. The classic ups and downs of adolescence ensue. There are boys, there’s gossip, and through it all, Sam is just trying to figure out who she is and what she wants. She falls in love with soccer, proudly becoming the only woman on a Division Four men’s team… then she sustains a head injury in a match, and all hell breaks loose. It’s lucky, she’s told, that she had the scans — that her aneurysm was found before it burst, potentially killing her. But how can you tell someone it’s lucky to find out that there’s a bomb in your head?

Ipema is a wonderful storyteller. She leads us through her story with both humour and a certain poetry. When she engages with the audience, you can tell they’re charmed by her. The personification of her aneurysm, “Annie”, played by Eleanor House is nothing short of sublime, especially as she introduces herself. She’s chaos incarnate, but she’s also desperately trying to get Sam to pay attention to her, almost as though she has more concern for Sam’s life than even Sam does. The performances are beautifully aided by simple, but effective set design by Hugo Dodsworth and the videography work from Douglas Coghlan and Dan Light is exceptional. The analog media on display here is a fun and interesting addition, as it beckons us (well, some of us, I’m sure) back to our own childhoods. But there’s one scene in particular that really makes it feel beyond genius — when Sam places one of the many televisions over Annie’s head and walks us through the procedure she underwent, having her aneurysm clipped. It’s definitely a bit graphic, but it’s also fascinating and viscerally real.

As we arrive at Sam’s recovery, it does feel a bit like something is missing. It’s all a touch too neat. Sam talks about the difficulties of her recovery, the excruciating pain, the loneliness of it all, and the existential dread that comes with knowing that “Annie” could still burst and potentially kill her at any moment. Yet for some reason, it doesn’t feel like it quite lands the emotional punch that it should. But maybe that’s the point of it all, really — even these massive, traumatic events are just blips in the overall scheme of things. No matter what, we’ve just got to keep putting one foot in front of the other.



DEAR ANNIE, I HATE YOU

Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 12th May 2025

by Stacey Cullen

Photography by Charlie Flint

 

 

 


 

 

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK | ★★★★★ | May 2025
SISYPHEAN QUICK FIX  | ★★★ | March 2025
SECOND BEST | ★★★★ | February 2025
HERE YOU COME AGAIN | ★★★★ | December 2024
DECK THE STALLS | ★★★ | December 2024
THE UNSEEN | ★★★★ | November 2024
FRENCH TOAST | ★★★★ | October 2024
KIM’S CONVENIENCE | ★★★ | September 2024
THE WEYARD SISTERS | ★★ | August 2024
MADWOMEN OF THE WEST | ★★ | August 2024

 

 

DEAR ANNIE

DEAR ANNIE

DEAR ANNIE

THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK

★★★★★

Riverside Studios

THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK

Riverside Studios

★★★★★

“a beautiful representation of the power of live performance”

I can confidently say that you do not need to have seen Star Wars to enjoy this show. I say that because, shamefully, I went to see this without having ever seen it. With Star Wars being so engrossed in pop culture, and having enjoyed several other parodies (The Family Guy Specials, to be precise), the references certainly didn’t go over my head. Created by Russall S. Beattie and directed by Bec Morris, The Empire Strips Back is a classic Burlesque cabaret with a mix of comedic and contemporary dance performances all themed around the Star Wars franchise. It features everything one needs from great Burlesque: nipple tassels, audience interaction and some amazing lighting design. Even from the cosy seats of Hammersmith, the audience certainly experiences something far far away.

The show opens strongly with a dance duet between one of the incredible NX5 Theatrical Dance company members and what I believe is known as a Bantha. The first of many fantastic puppetry pieces of the show. After swiftly warming up the audience, we are introduced to the host who continues to engage with the audience before and after each act. This is where the majority of the comedy lies, with an incredible amount of wit and improvised audience interaction.

The dance styles are a mix between classic Burlesque, exotic and contemporary dance, making the show overall feel incredibly rich. There’s beautifully romantic scenes between masked aliens as well as surprisingly sexy dance moves from Chewbacca. The puppetry and animatronics are astounding, not only with the previously mentioned Bantha, but a full stage scale, lip syncing, Jabba the Hutt. Not one area of this show cuts corners. Every aspect from the costume, to the dance, to the amazing use of a rainbow lighting spectacle is fully exploited.

After six years of touring around the world, The Empire Strips Back has landed in London and launched on Star Wars day, and the City will be glad of it. As the world appears bleaker and bleaker, it is shows like this that bring joy, laughter and a sense of community. The audience was – naturally – full of Star Wars fans, with everybody bonding over their Star Wars tattoos and Chewbacca impressions. Even without knowing the franchise well, I felt a part of a really positive crowd. To quote the Last Jedi itself, as it was quoted in the show, “We don’t get stronger by fighting the things we hate, but by protecting the things we love”. The Empire Strips Back is a beautiful representation of the power of live performance. And that should be protected at all costs.



THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK

Riverside Studios

Reviewed on 4th May 2025

by David Robinson

 

 


 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

SISYPHEAN QUICK FIX  | ★★★ | March 2025
SECOND BEST | ★★★★ | February 2025
HERE YOU COME AGAIN | ★★★★ | December 2024
DECK THE STALLS | ★★★ | December 2024
THE UNSEEN | ★★★★ | November 2024
FRENCH TOAST | ★★★★ | October 2024
KIM’S CONVENIENCE | ★★★ | September 2024
THE WEYARD SISTERS | ★★ | August 2024
MADWOMEN OF THE WEST | ★★ | August 2024
MOFFIE | ★★★ | June 2024

 

 

THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK

THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK

THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK