“Harbot’s script has some beautiful language and is rather poetic in parts”
A New and Better You, written by Joe Harbot and directed by Cheryl Gallacher, tells the story of an unnamed protagonist (played by Hannah Traylen) as she transforms from an unmotivated loser to a superstar wellness influencer. It’s a biting critique of the online self-help movement and the soulless consumerism at the heart of it.
The protagonist’s “upgrade” is overseen by two–also unnamed–characters, who seem like a mix of motivational speakers and PR consultants. They are played by the excellent Saffron Coomber and Alex Austin. Their creepy smiles and upbeat attitudes are enough to set your teeth on edge. The acting overall is superb, in particular from Traylen who is able to move from depressed to ecstatic seamlessly and is able to subtly show the cracks starting to appear in the star’s supposedly “new and improved” self.
Harbot’s script has some beautiful language and is rather poetic in parts. One long monologue where the protagonist lists, and apologises, for all of her flaws, is especially moving. However, the frequency of these long, abstract monologues becomes a bit repetitive, and while these speeches about how to improve oneself do reflect the themes of the play I couldn’t help but wish for a bit more dialogue and action. While the script certainly proves its point about the absurdity and shallowness of the self-improvement world, the play feels like it is lacking in structure.
The design is sublime. Bethany Wells has created a surrealist masterpiece with a diamond shape sandpit at the centre of the stage and a gold diamond stuck to the brick wall at the back of the theatre. The projections of motivational quotes and emojis are funny, stylish and add to the overall nightmarish feeling, without ever being intrusive. The stylish design and projections are further complimented by the excellent design and sound/composition. Jess Bernberg’s lighting design is original and mesmerising, in particular in the final climactic scene where we are made to feel as though we are in a desert; the lights perfectly mimic the sun, swirling sand and hot, blurry air. Josh Anio Grigg’s sound, like the projections, never feels invasive but rather like another layer of this creepy, false world of gym exercises and product endorsements.
Overall, A New and Better You is slick, stylish, and a haunting look at the ends some people will go to to improve themselves. Well worth a watch.
“The piece is brimming with an electric energy that is infectious, vital and unapologetic”
Across the stage: a drum kit, a bath, a chandelier that almost grazes the floor, two chairs, a pie, a chaise longue, a piano. The lights go down. The lights go up. The white, bespectacled bust of Chekhov stares back at us to the sound of applause. The lights go down again. So begins RashDash’s reimagining of ‘Three Sisters’ and it is no conventional reimagining. The piece was created, it is implied, after a reviewer recommended that in order for the group to be taken seriously, they ought to engage with ‘the classics’. Certainly this engages with said classics, not to obliterate them completely but to ask how they can be made applicable to the modern day woman, and even how might Chekhov have written his three sisters in a present day setting.
This is a night of disruption – disruption to theatrical form in that the piece weaves from play to concert to dance show to clowning and round again, and disruption to the literary canon as the trio questions how we can engage in the famed classics where we are barely featured. Interspersed with chants of “men make speeches, men make speeches”, it quickly becomes apparent that even when women take the title roles, it doesn’t mean they are given anything of substance to say or do. The question “What does it mean when a group of women talk to each other?” is met with a lengthy silence.
The piece is brimming with an electric energy that is infectious, vital and unapologetic. It is laced with moments of wonderful visual comedy: Spice Girls costumes (including a sequined Union Jack dress), Chekhov’s bust as baby and lover (not simultaneously), and Olga stood on two stacks of books balanced on Masha’s horizontal body: a visual depiction of the weight of the canon. The cast change over and over from ballgowns to bear suits, cheerleading outfits and a sparkling knight’s headdress, stripping semi-naked time and again in the process of helping each other into the next outfit.
Perhaps most striking about the production is the incredible talent of those onstage. Our trio, made up of Abbie Greenland, Helen Goalen and Becky Wilkie, can act, sing, dance, play musical instruments, make us laugh, make us want to dance, make us think – it’s a masterclass to behold. They are supported by two fantastic musicians, Choe Rianna on the drums and Yoon-Ji Kim jumping between violin and synth. Rosie Elnile’s set design is flawlessly haphazard, full of hidden gems and boasting a back wall of zine-like collage, all effectively lit by lighting designer Ziggy Jacobs. There isn’t a weak link in the production.
There are moments during several of the songs where the words get lost under the music, a particular shame in the number commenting on the critical reception of Chekhov-inspired productions. In moments, the absurdity of the play dominates to such an extent that the narrative is lost and confusion temporarily reigns, and for those unfamiliar with the play it could take a while to settle into the references of the piece. But then this isn’t a piece about settling or linearity.
A rousing call to create work that truly represents and embodies us, and to respond creatively to work and sectors of the world that don’t, RashDash’s production is fiercely vibrant. At points parodic, and always playful, the show is filled with wit, joy and plenty of stripping. This is Chekhov as you have never seen him before, and surely now hope to see him again.
