Writer & Director: Isolde Fenton
Gra’s in a bad way. Her mother’s recent death, along with her father’s emotional absence and best friend’s recent ‘conscious uncoupling’ from her, has her in a tailspin. Alone with her thoughts and breaking out in all kinds of physical ailments, we follow Grainne through her reminiscences as she daydreams in her GP’s office.
As a rule, solo performances in theatre can be tricky and are not always ideal. It is very difficult to maintain an audience’s interest for any considerable length of time; and acting is all about reacting. If they have no one else up there to bounce off of, it comes across as trite or an exercise in navel-gazing. However, Isolde Fenton makes a very good go of it here. The overriding theme of the play – anxiety – was one which is perfectly suited to a solo performance, as much of Gra’s experience is suffered in isolation which was reinforced by the bravely sparse set – a chair, a table with a plant and hand sanitiser on it.
An impressive ball of energy, Fenton transitions from memories of watching Desperate Housewives with her mother as a teenager to a painfully embarrassing night out as the too-drunk friend with ease, and the timings of the vignettes were just right. In the more tender and heartbreaking moments, Fenton really came into her own.
There felt like some invisible pressure within Fenton to be both funny and sad at the same time (reminiscent of Fleabag), however comedy wouldn’t seem to be her strongest suit. It’s in the heartbreak, her deeper emotions, that she shines. Perhaps ironically anxiety made her energy jump too high at times.
In a Bad Way is an entertaining piece, and while nothing new is touched on, its simplicity is touching.
Runs Until 20th Sept 2025.
