Writers: Ellie Jay Cooper/James Akka
Director: Caleb Barron
Back-to-back billing at London’s Pleasance takes audiences from a devastating earthquake in Alaska to an (equally intense) 12-year-old’s campaign for Head Boy. Maybe You Like It Productions presents an exciting, high-energy double bill that makes for a compelling night of performance.
Down To Chance takes on a massive challenge – a 9.2 magnitude earthquake and roughly 20 characters across just 70 minutes. But writer and performer Ellie Jay Cooper’s text rises to this challenge with forcible energy, deft choreography, and a clearly told story of community and hope after tragedy.
It is predominantly the story of the remarkable Genie Chance (Cooper), part-time radio reporter who works tirelessly to stay live on air and communicate to the community of Anchorage, in the aftermath of the largest earthquake ever recorded in North America. Even amongst the many other roles Cooper takes on, her embodiment of Genie Chance is steadfast and determined, with an uncanny transatlantic accent, and it does much to ground the narrative of the production into something compelling.
Cooper is accompanied by Robert Merriam, who excels particularly as the overwhelmed radio intern, and the pair rushes around the stage, manically changing costumes and props, taking the Pleasance through the colourful characters of Anchorage, determined to save their community.
The number of characters the pair undertake is impressive, and they are precise and considered in each performance. Despite the energy and chaos of the performance, the narrative is told clearly and provides some touching moments.
But the overall feeling suggests the production doesn’t quite know where to land. The natural comedy that comes from multi-rolling feels at odds with the seriousness of the topic. Equally, the seriousness of the topic and any emotion it might bring is often undercut by the multi-rolling – the audience has little time to sit and process what is happening. While impressive, the sheer number of characters begins to feel unnecessary. Cutting the encounters with the useless Mayor of Anchorage, for example, would create more breathing room to foster a deeper emotional atmosphere.
But Down To Chance is still an impressive undertaking and a touching recount of a female journalist whose story deserves to be told.
An hour later, the Pleasance audience is ushered back into the theatre to a similarly extreme situation – 12-year-old Sam Wilson’s campaign to become Head Boy. The risk with shows centred around a PowerPoint presentation is that the punchlines become lazy and rely on visual gags that grow stale after the third dissolve transition. This is certainly not the case with Sorry (I Broke Your Arms and Legs).
Writer and performer James Akka is a force on stage – the comedy of Sam’s youthful ambition and its consequences, as well as the nostalgia of being 12, are handled brilliantly. The PowerPoint is a nice supplement to Akka’s excellent timing, and the text is relatable to anyone who has been 12 and knows the seriousness of the school disco and casting in the school play.
With wonderful meta moments and many genuine laughs from the audience, this 60-minute, one-man, one-PowerPoint production is consistently fun and, at times, surprisingly meaningful. The joy and silliness are a nice second course to the thrill and drama of Down To Chance.
Runs until 9 May 2026
