Review: Jealousy Play (Etcetera Theatre)
Review by Phil McCullough
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It takes a lot of guts and soul searching to write a truly personal one person play that examines trauma, resentment and neurodivergence based on your own experiences. Jealousy Play shines a light on the emotional pressures of pursuing a career in acting, from the GCSE drama classroom to the drama school audition and then life as a budding actor trying to make it in an already crowded and competitive industry. But does this performance hold a mirror up to human nature and offer a fresh perspective on jealousy, or does it simply play with ideas and become too self indulgent to provide any genuine new insights into resentment?
Written and performed by Rachel Isobel Heritage, Jealousy Play premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August at Greenside Riddles Court. The show received funding to travel to Edinburgh from Lockdown Projections, a grassroots theatre company made up of neurodivergent people from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The company is committed to keeping ticket prices low and casting open, while championing work that responds to the barriers working class and neurodivergent people face when trying to break into the arts.
Heritage’s debut solo production follows the fictional story of Joanne, a neurodivergent actor whose life is consumed by resentment and jealousy. She constantly compares herself to fellow performer Neptune, who seemingly has the perfect life. Neptune gets into a ‘Big Boy’ drama school straight away and goes on to land professional roles, from performing in The Importance of Being Earnest at the Garrick to securing her first part at theatrical mecca, National Theatre. Meanwhile, Joanne finds it a struggle to get into any drama school and then suffers financial and emotional turmoil when she does. On top of that her own constant comparisons to Neptune are eating away at her self esteem and causing her considerable distress.
The writing is engaging, and Heritage’s storytelling is well paced enough to hold your attention throughout the hour. She is brutally honest and wears her heart on her sleeve, even when revealing aspects of herself that might not necessarily put her in the best light. That willingness to expose the less attractive sides of jealousy gives the show an appealing rawness. However, the production would benefit from a few lighter moments to help us warm to Joanne even more and provide some comic relief from the emotional intensity.
Director Anna Lewis keeps the staging simple but effective. Visual imagery, including Instagram posts and photographs charting Joanne and Neptune’s lives from their teenage years through to graduation, adds colour and context to the story. Joanne also speaks to a range of characters who remain offstage, their voices heard through recordings. It is an effective technique that helps bring the different people in her life into the story without cluttering the stage. The production’s greatest strength is that when Joanne reveals the depth of her jealousy and resentment, there is a sense that these feelings come from a deeply personal, semi-autobiographical place making the performance feel all the more raw and heartfelt.
Heritage delivers a strong emotional performance that holds the audience’s attention for 60 minutes, which is a testament to her ability as a performer. The story feels authentic, offering a glimpse into the life of a working class Gen-Z woman on the spectrum who is trying to find her place in the theatre industry. Her emotional outbursts are powerful, and the resilience required to keep pursuing an acting career against the odds is arguably the most admirable thing about this production. However, the story remains firmly rooted in Joanne’s own world and limited life experience. Still being angry about the girl who took your role in a GCSE drama class, then resenting her for attending a better drama school and enjoying greater professional success, raises an awkward question. Does this really justify the audience’s sympathy? In the grand scheme of things, there are far bigger and more important issues in the world, so perhaps not. Yet this is where the writing and performance prove their worth, because despite Joanne’s self-absorption, you still find yourself caring about her and wanting her to succeed. At times, her delivery feels a little whiny, but at its best it is heartfelt and honest, offering a warts and all account of a struggling performer trying to find her voice in the theatre world.
Ultimately, Jealousy Play is an engaging portrayal of life as a struggling performer when the odds are stacked against you. Jealousy and resentment are emotions we all experience, and the show makes the point that how we deal with them can shape who we become. In the final scenes, Joanne’s attempt to make amends with Neptune is a sweet and heartfelt moment that reveals a genuinely softer side to her character. It also reminds us that, whatever our background or apparent success, everyone is dealing with their own internal struggles. Overall the production is raw, heartfelt and gives a rare glimpse of life as a neurodivergent artist trying to make it in the creative world.
Jealous Play played at Etcetera Theatre on 26th October.
Photos by Dexter Robinson