by Laura Kressly
Jess and Victoria are greatest buddies and girlbosses extraordinaire. As a response to what they see as an excessive amount of unhappiness on the earth, they’ve developed a five-step method to “change ourselves and those around us”. The satire of self-help seminars, relentless positivity within the face of private and societal collapse, and late-stage capitalism’s grifter tradition is sensible and initially foolish, however underpinned by a critical message.
The two performers, clad in bright-coloured fits, have unbelievable chemistry and power ranges. They dance, chat with one another and the viewers, and hawk their product with earnest conviction. It’s evident that this can be a rip-off and like most lies, it falls down ultimately when shallow platitudes fail to deal with their actual issues. This collapse provides extra perception into the characters, and successfully mirrors our seek for any type of sticking plaster that takes away the ache of grief.
The story arc is a satisfying one, although there’s room for a extra in-depth exploration of being in our emotions and the way to deal with loss. We be taught a bit concerning the cores of those ladies beneath their perky exteriors, and it successfully emerges from the seminar framework, however there’s solely actually a glimpse. Of course, pageant time constraints are additionally an element right here. A barely longer present would allow them to actually delve into the darkness underlying their shiny and smiley outsides.
Help Yourself runs by way of 27 September.
The Play’s the Thing UK is dedicated to masking fringe and progressive theatre in London and past. It is run solely voluntarily and wishes common help to make sure its survival. For extra data and to assist The Play’s the Thing UK present protection of the theatre that wants critiques probably the most, visit its patreon.
