Writer: Rosie Day
Director: Georgie Staight
A West-End debut from Bridgerton star Charithra Chandran sees the witty, moving and honest Instructions For a Teenage Armageddon hit the Garrick Theatre this March, taking over the stage of the hit For Black Boys… on Sundays only. Noticing the multitude of one-woman shows hitting the stage, writer Rosie Day tasked herself with writing a ‘one Teen show’, and in this, she rises to the challenge.
As classic teen pop anthems play (think Avril Lavigne and Swiftie nostalgia) we are transported to a teenage bedroom. With pale purple walls and a wardrobe of Girl Scout badges and sparkly jackets, it’s a teenage girl’s mind as much as it is a place to sleep. This is where we find our teen Girl (Chandran), reeling from her sister’s death, and dealing with her separating parents. From grief to guilt, to boys and best friends, we see the beautiful headstrong naivety that comes from being a teenage girl played out in full force.
It’s refreshingly different from the over-cooked overly-mature presentation of grumpy teens so often found in the media. It’s the small details that work here, particularly Jasmin Swan’s costume design that has the baby-faced Chandran moving in typical jeans and stripey tees, not overdressed while moving through engaging storytelling with believability. Chandran does well to embody the host of other characters in this teen’s life, assisted occasionally by pre-recorded videos, artistically shot and projected onto the back of the stage. Georgie Staight’s direction seems to have a hand in keeping the extended monologue dynamic across the compact stage while keeping the audience abreast of the time jumps the plot employs.
At times the pace drags, and both the writing and Chandran struggle to maintain momentum as the production becomes slightly repetitive in tone. Indeed, elements of the plot edge on cliché, perhaps an inevitable consequence when attempting to portray a collectively felt experience.
But the show’s climatic turning point succeeds in reviving this energy instantly, a certain revelation drawing audible gasps from the audience. It’s the horrible, palpable feeling of the naivety of girlhood being pulled away. It’s utterly familiar and entirely effective.
Most palpably, it’s the thoughtful presentation of the fickle nature of teen friendships, of the feelings of isolation that are fiercely felt at that age that stand out, and make some of the more formulaic moments in the script forgivable.
Despite pacing problems and elements of cliche, the issue of poor mental health in teenagers is dealt with beautiful sensitivity in Instructions For a Teenage Armageddon. It doesn’t shy away from the serious but finds enough light to leave the audience with a warming sense of hope.
Runs until 28 April 2024
The Reviews Hub Score
Witty, moving, important.
