Writer: Richard Toye
Director: Hasena Bibi
Despite a committed performance by Hasena Bibi, this story of a woman lured into an online cult quickly becomes too far-fetched. That cults, such as the play’s fictional True Spirit Pathway, prey on the vulnerable is well-known but any warning that writer Richard Toye is keen to deliver is undone by the bloody denouement.
Jodi meets Danny about the same time as she signs up for the TSP classes, after adverts for which have appeared on her social media platforms. Leading the online sessions are Michael and Emma who promise to help people find their lifelong partner, their spiritual other half. The couple actively encourages Jodi to persevere in her relationship with home security expert Danny.
But for the first half of the 50-minute show, Jodi proves to be an unreliable narrator and the audience must question how well she knows Danny. As she confides “stalking is what haters call commitment”. The more he rejects her advances, the more Jodi pursues him. Her best friend Helen cautions Jodi about TSP, but who exactly is Chloe, a name that Jodi often mentions?
Even in a short play, Michael and Emma are too quickly revealed as charlatans. There’s no real sense of Jodi being gradually enticed by charismatic teachings or achievable aims. Also, as the couple don’t charge for their sessions, though they are happy enough to accept donations, it’s unclear what Michael and Emma are gaining from such manipulation. A recent BBC Sounds podcast, A Very Modern Cult, showed how a group called Lighthouse managed to exhort ‘members’ to surrender their life savings to pay for extra online sessions and entry to elite inner circles.
When Jodi steps up her campaign to possess Danny, the story transitions into an unconvincing horror. Long scene changes when actor/director Bibi goes off stage to don a different outfit only serve to break the tension with some audience members thinking that the blackouts have signalled the end of the show. Really, Bibi should remain on stage for the whole duration, with the props she needs around her.
While Bibi captures the susceptibility of her character, there are times when some of her lines are rushed, especially when Jodi is animated or angry, meaning that not every word can be heard. And when the music plays, it’s almost impossible to hear her.
The play needn’t be much longer – in a way it’s perfect fringe material – but the sinister nature of online cults is diluted in the narrative’s over-the-top second half. If the story were more believable this cautionary tale would be more terrifying.
Runs until 14 September 2024
The Reviews Hub Score
Over-the-top
