Writer: Phoebe Segal
As anyone who’s had an involvement with life drawing will know, there’s a particular etiquette that applies to the models. They’re often fellow artists seeking a little extra income, much appreciated by those drawing and painting them or sometimes sculpting them. Their modesty is protected between nude poses; they’re bought cups of tea at half-time. There’s an endless quest to capture some truth about the figure, whether in an ethereal set of squiggles or a photorealistic study of shoulder blades.
Into this earnest milieu stomps Clara (Hattie Chapman) in her ankle boots, motivated to modelling by wanting to attract the attention of a lecturer she fancies. In their one-to-one tutorial she can’t help but notice the artworks adorning the walls of his office: all nudes from the life drawing class he attends. She starts to hatch her plan.
Then the story digresses and we get insights into what’s brought Clara to this point. She tells us about early triumphs and disappointments in being noticed by boys. She casually mentions a guy she has casual sex with. She recounts a previous relationship blighted by coercive control – a theme that’s become prevalent in recent years as it’s gained wider public awareness.
Through the various phases of her sometimes moving, sometimes hilarious monologue, Clara reveals a tension between the feminism she’s being taught about at university, where she’s studying English Literature, and the realities of contemporary dating culture. But coming from Clara’s mouth, the words in Phoebe Segal’s excellent script don’t sound anything like a lecture. The character’s honest desires and emotional immaturity are allowed to be the driving force, even when we can guess that her modelling plan might not do her much good.
Hattie Chapman’s comic and dramatic timing is brilliant; as Clara she works every line to win and hold the audience’s attention.
Here is a raw, brave exploration of self-acceptance and the difference between being seen and being empowered. ln what starts out as an incidental foray into the art world, the play also uncovers the curious difference between being nude and being naked.
Overall this show is a tour de force and a significant success for Bacchanalia, the East Anglia based theatre company founded last year by Phoebe Segal and Merlyn Haycraft.
Runs until 29 August 2026 | Image: Contributed
