Writer: Holly Sewell
Director: Viv Wang
When you’re at a low point in your life, it can be very easy to lean on the support of those you love. But what if that is never enough?
Dazzling is the debut play by Holly Sewell, presented by new theatre company Fundamental Loose Screw and directed by Viv Wang. Having done the rounds in Cambridge and Edinburgh, the one-woman show hits the Etcetera Theatre stage in Camden Town to a sold-out crowd.
Once inside the small black box theatre, we are greeted by lead actor Charli Scott-Haynes sitting on a mattress on the floor eating lollies amongst a heap of trash and disorder. Clothes are littered across an armchair, empty bottles of booze scatter the floor and a torn, graffitied banner drapes the back of the theatre. Immediately we are introduced to the cacophony of Alix’s world.
Alix is still recovering from a depressive episode with the help of her best friend and flatmate Jan, who is her rock through the dark times. Alix’s office job is mundane and she cannot stand her snooty superior. A light in the dark glimmers when she meets the radiant Fiona at a party, instantly capturing her heart and giving her hope for her future.
A fast-paced monologue in the style of Fleabag or Prima Facie, Sewell’s script dances from one moment to the next with a litany of pithy one-liners and evocative moments of revelation. The dialogue may race at times, but the tapestry is so rich with inventive writing that each scene possesses a glowing highlight.
As we journey through this snapshot of Alix’s turbulent life marred by anxiety and alcohol abuse, Scott-Haynes guides us with a mastery of character. Her characterisation of Alix is bubbly and snarky, but her manifestations of Alix’s mother, prim, proper, and Jan, warm but realistic, are cleverly evoked in nuanced choices that allow for quick transitions between the roles. Scott-Haynes commands the stage so well for this one-hour show that it doesn’t feel like time passes at all.
The use of sound is intriguing, with hit songs like Tainted Love by Soft Cell making an appearance, but the utilisation of a high-pitched whine, intended to exhibit the panic coursing through Alix’s mind, overpowers the dialogue and grates against the ears. This doesn’t mar the overall experience, while the lighting design is well executed and simply constructed for the needs of the plot.
A smart and inventive snapshot of one woman’s life in a state of turmoil, Dazzling is a gem of independent theatre and is well worth an hour of your time.
Until 16 December 2023
The Reviews Hub Score
Raucous, smart one-woman play.
