Soho Theatre Archives - Page 42 of 52

★★★★

“Millerick has created something powerful, inviting us to experience a combination of emotions we rarely feel together”

Garrett Millerick jokes about his brand of ‘nitpicking misery’, and his new show Sunflower, one of the most critically acclaimed hits from Edinburgh Festival last year, certainly lives up to his reputation. From S Club 7 to the patriarchy, Millerick effortlessly manages to weave humour through both light and darkness as he explores the true importance of laughter.

From the start of his show, walking through the aisle of the Soho Theatre downstairs and announcing himself to the stage, Millerick commands our attention. His high energy approach to comedy is captivating, heightened by his quick paced delivery and passion for the stories he tells. Initially set to be a happy and fun show – named after his favourite Beach Boys album – Millerick centres his stories around a grounded cynicism that sets to explore whether context can dictate the limits of comedy. Through his charm and authenticity, Millerick draws us in, humanising his stand-up routine in an unexpected way that is guaranteed to take you through a spectrum of emotions.

And that is the beauty of this show: it isn’t your standard stand-up comedy. Jokes about Paul Cattermole (‘one of the boys from S Club’) selling his Brit award, and Chesney Hawkes losing the rights to his song ‘The One and Only’, land to roars of laughter, twisting the comedy knife into these otherwise quite tragic accounts. But the show is unique and fresh in its approach because part way through the writing of it, Millerick’s life changed dramatically. The performance, therefore, takes a surprising turn, taking us out of the comfort of comedy into something much more complex, whilst never losing its heart. Without wanting to give anything away, all I will say is that Millerick has created something powerful, inviting us to experience a combination of emotions we rarely feel together; that feeling of wanting to – and, indeed, needing to – laugh through heartbreak.

The performance excels because the comedian wears his heart on his sleeve, compelling his audience to listen to every word he says. And in doing so Millerick delivers a refreshingly dynamic performance that deserves its acclaim, and deserves to be seen.

Reviewed by Tobias Graham

Photography by Matthew Hall

Soft Animals

Soho Theatre

Reviewed – 11th February 2019

★★★★

“written with tender intelligence and a pinch of knowing wit”

The Soho Theatre is renowned for championing new writing, offering platforms to the brightest new playwrights this country has to offer. Soft Animals, the debut play by Holly Robinson, is a solid example of this. A pacy examination of ethics, exploring unorthodox friendships amidst an age of blame and hate.

Sarah (Ellie Piercy) is scrubbing graffitied obscenities off her front door. Frankie (Bianca Stephens) is struggling to do the most basic of daily tasks. Since the tragic accident that brought these two women together, the last thing either expected would be to find comfort and solace from each other’s company. Battling through the mountain of hate mail and social media death threats, it is their shared need to self-destruct in order to deal with their pain, which strangely offers them a chance to save one another.

Holly Robinson certainly does a creditable job on her first play. Soft Animals is written with tender intelligence and a pinch of knowing wit. You can tell she delights in drip feeding the audience the integral bits of information, gradually forming the bigger picture of what the accident entailed. The suspense that ensues makes for compelling viewing.

The odd bits of commentary on racial inequality and stereotyping, as well as the acknowledgment of still recognisable class structures, adds relevancy, even if at times it feels like it’s executed heavy handedly. The small yet priceless comedic observations on 21st-century life help to bring lighter moments to what otherwise would be an awful amount of troubling darkness.

The two actors nimbly dance around the shifting status of their characters’ relationship as it moves from being like mother and daughter, to patient and carer, to being part romantic, to part dependent.

Performed in the round, in a very intimate space, you can feel the claustrophobic intensity of Sarah and Frankie’s connection. You are very much a part of the action which makes it completely absorbing. The clever design of soft-play like furniture that affix together in building block fashion, is an understated nod to lost childhood which becomes a significant part of the plot (without giving too much away).

We live in a world where online trolling and anger-filled social media posts occurs ferociously. Robinson uses this cultural climate to colour the environment in which her characters have to battle. It places the play completely in our zeitgeist. But what truly stands out is the multi-faceted qualities of female friendships and how intense a female bond can be.

Soho Theatre

Reviewed – 12th February 2019

★★★★

“Millerick has created something powerful, inviting us to experience a combination of emotions we rarely feel together”

The performance excels because the comedian wears his heart on his sleeve, compelling his audience to listen to every word he says. And in doing so Millerick delivers a refreshingly dynamic performance that deserves its acclaim, and deserves to be seen.

Reviewed by Tobias Graham

Photography by Matthew Hall

Garrett Millerick: Sunflower

Soho Theatre until 16th February

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

Soho Theatre

Reviewed – 11th February 2019

★★★★

“written with tender intelligence and a pinch of knowing wit”

The two actors nimbly dance around the shifting status of their characters’ relationship as it moves from being like mother and daughter, to patient and carer, to being part romantic, to part dependent.

Reviewed by Phoebe Cole

Photography by Helen Maybanks

Soft Animals

Soho Theatre until 2nd March

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

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