★★★

“Beautiful language comes together with dark fantasies to create a relatable and comedic story”

Looking for Giants is a show about obsessions, fantasies and pure thrill. Three different men invade the narrator’s life. The setting changes, but the situation doesn’t. Excitement, potential, inevitable let down, then repeat. Isn’t that what life is about though? The people that swoop in and change your life forever? All the marks they leave on you, while you try to make sense of something that will never make perfect sense? Because human relationships are too complicated for that.

Our protagonist, or narrator, is an undergraduate student. A very vulnerable age where the threshold of adulthood, with all the freedom and terror it brings with it, looms ahead. On a stage that has only the essentials, a chair and a mic stand, Abby McCann comes in and starts sharing her innermost fantasies. Little by little, we notice a pattern unravelling, in a way that makes the storytelling feel almost like a raw confession. Firstly, there is the university tutor, who appears to be indifferent, but still somehow pulls her in and makes her want to go to sort of battle against him. Secondly, an older man on a dating app, which prompts a purely sexual chain of interactions through texts. Thirdly, a university student who, after a long time of teasing, turns into a mere fantasy of what could have been. All of them excite her and tickle her imagination to the point of turning her world upside down. But in the end, she stands in front of us to point out that it’s the emotional whirlwind that matters to her. She’s not bitter nor does she feel rejected. She ponders on what came before and is filled with adrenaline at the thought of what will come next.

The male and female dynamic is important to note, how the female narrator keeps putting herself on a lower, even weaker position compared to her male love interests. One could say it’s intentional, a conscious preference; other could argue it’s too much of a coincidence to be unrelated to how society enforces the image of women as the submissive beings, in a sexual and not sexual way. But there’s no denying that the thrill of the unknown, or rather the barely known, can be relatable outside of any gender discussions.

Skylar Turnbull Hurd’s lighting design playfully highlights parts of the conversations the protagonist has with the male characters of her stories. At times, it get confusing and almost chaotic, though not to the point of distracting us from what’s happening onstage. The mic creates an interesting layer and distinction between the different characters, while the rest of the sound design, by Sarah Spencer, is minimal and to the point.

Abby McCann, who is also the dramaturg of the show, doesn’t let the daunting nature of performing unaccompanied stop her from bringing some wonderful energy and colour to the character. Along with writer and director Cesca Echlin, they could have dug deeper to let the character’s risky and edgy personality shine even more.

It’s an intriguing play that doesn’t leave anything to the audience’s imagination. Beautiful language comes together with dark fantasies to create a relatable and comedic story, even if its explosive and thrilling nature could be accentuated more.

BETTE & JOAN

Park Theatre

★★★★

“A stupendous performance … witty and moving”

Set conflicts, long lived feuds and a peek in the life of the big Hollywood stars. After series like Ryan Murphy’s Feud and Hollywood started swarming the media, it’s clear that audiences want to see what unfolds behind the camera lens. Bette Davis and Joan Crawford had a complicated professional relationship that had its ups and downs (mainly its downs). In Bette and Joan by Anton Burge, the actress and the movie star face each other in a battle for dominance.

The show begins with them introducing themselves and giving us a taste of their personalities in their respective dressing rooms. The exposition is necessary, but also tiring, especially if one’s familiar with the stars and their lives. But actors Greta Scacchi (who plays Bette Davis) and Felicity Dean (who plays Joan Crawford) are doing an excellent job of keeping us intrigued and absolutely hooked. They’re getting ready to shoot a scene of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, the famous picture that brought them back to the spotlight and skyrocketed both of their careers once again. The second half seems to be somewhat similar to the first, offering some electrifying moments between the actresses and some touching monologues about their respective personal lives.

It’s a trip down memory lane, which is enjoyable, but doesn’t really lead anywhere. Capturing the vast range of this relationship in two hours is impossible, but under the direction of Sue Jenkins, the actors’ great performances make us step out of the auditorium gratified. The tricky detail about this production is that it’s not enough to portray the real people accurately, but find the sweet spot of hostility and antagonism. Scacchi and Dean succeed triumphantly, as we see them separately, but also interacting, their dynamic full of fire that brings laughter to the audience. The way Dean inhabits the viper-like lady who’s always ready to strike while keeping up appearances and sticking to good manners is mesmerising, with every hand gesture being refined and elegant. Through her monologue about Crawford’s mother and upbringing she shows her highly skilled craft, contrasting Scacchi’s direct and confrontational approach.

The set, designed by Neil Gordon, is magnificent, one of the highlights of the show I dare say. A double dressing room with little details that make each side unique and that brings out the theme of duality. After all, the two stars might come from different backgrounds, but they have more in common than they want to admit, fighting bravely to make it in a cruel industry, where youth and money is one’s currency. Lighting, designed by Joe Pilling, is an interesting mixture of vanity mirror light bulbs and spotlights that focuses the audience’s attention to the appropriate side of the stage, making it easier to follow the narrative. Pip Thurlow’s sound design is minimal, which is exactly what this piece needs as we’re focusing on the words rather than distracting stylisations.

A stupendous performance that remind us that under all the glamour of Hollywood’s golden era, actors are still people, capable of being petty, competitive and deeply vulnerable. The show is witty and moving, even if at times one wishes we’d get more scenes with the actors being together, in order to get a better taste of their relationship.

LOOKING FOR GIANTS

King’s Head Theatre

★★★

“Beautiful language comes together with dark fantasies to create a relatable and comedic story”

LOOKING FOR GIANTS

King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed on 16th January 2025

by Stephanie Christodoulidou

Photography by WoodForge Studios

Previously reviewed at this venue:

LOOKING FOR GIANTS

LOOKING FOR GIANTS

LOOKING FOR GIANTS

BETTE & JOAN

Park Theatre

★★★★

“A stupendous performance … witty and moving”

BETTE & JOAN at Park Theatre

Reviewed on 5th December 2024

by Stephanie Christodoulidou

Photography by Simon Annand

Previously reviewed at this venue:

BETTE & JOAN

BETTE & JOAN