Review: ROLEPLAY (Soho Theatre)
Review by Daz Gale
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
With a tagline of “Attention is the new oil”, everything about ROLEPLAY is designed to grab your attention - and that it does. The poster draws your eyes to it immediately, as does the description for the show, which definitely piqued my interest enough to make sure I attended the London transfer of this Edinburgh Fringe hit. The tagline refers to attention being the new currency, with so many desperate to mine it. The question is, would this be a show full of riches or would ROLEPLAY end up running dry?
ROLEPLAY follows the journey of one woman, whose feminist podcast was created initially for a laugh, appealing to a niche audience. When an offer she can’t refuse is put on the table, she rebrands herself in pursuit of fame but risks losing her own identity in the process. As matters escalate and her notoriety rises, the question emerges of how much of yourself are you willing to compromise, lose, or sell, while staying true to yourself?
In a rapid 70 minutes, ROLEPLAY fills itself with no shortage of timely and timeless themes. There is the nature of being sex positive and empowering women, the touch of misogyny and the battle women face of freedom to be themselves under the threat of men who want to control the narrative and the women in their lives. This is mixed in with an exposing look at influencer culture and what can be required to stay at the top of their game, often to unhealthy results. One of the most intriguing themes prominent in ROLEPLAY is the nature of currency, notably how much you value yourself, and what happens when your very values are compromised.
Sound like a lot? In hindsight, it is, which makes it all the more impressive how much is crammed into such a short space of time. What also impresses is the way these themes are conveyed, with humour and humanity. ROLEPLAY has no shortage of laugh-out-loud moments, though it was telling to see which members of the audience laughed at which bits - there were some unanimous funny bits, while others only tickled certain demographics with other aspects of the show more debatable as to how they should be interpreted. Though the show presents itself as an initial comedy, there is much more to it than meets the eye with the fitting comparison of it playing a role to mask its authentic self beneath the surface.
Much of the success of the show is down to writer and performer Hannah Reilly. There is a real magnetic and electric quality to Reilly both as a writer and performer, and that is felt from her sudden and exposing entrance, setting the tone immediately and literally demonstrating how much she is willing to share in the name of art. It proves impossible to take your eyes off of Reilly throughout the performance as she veers from her podcast persona to the woman behind the character, delivering a multifaceted and layered portrayal full of nuance and intrigue. Whether she is high-fiving members of the audience or asking them to join her in a call-and-response of her catchphrase “Hey, slut” or offering a more intimate and honest look at her darker moments in an occasionally uncomfortable watch, the one consistency in Reilly’s performance is Reilly herself and how unflinching and flawless her characterisation is.
Paige Rattray’s direction helps to transform the static space of Soho Theatre into Reilly’s world, with nothing more than a chair, a few items of clothing and a couple of microphones to fill the stage. Nothing more is needed, however, as it is Reilly herself that makes the story so captivating, with Rattray effortlessly in tune with how to heighten each moment and get the message across. The way ROLEPLAY manages to move from one extreme to another in a matter of moments is a testament to both Reilly’s performance and Rattray’s direction, and how in sync the pair are together.
The moment ROLEPLAY started, I had an immediate idea of the ride I was in for over the next hour and 10 minutes. In a great example of never judging a book by its cover, I was left astounded at just how much was covered in such a short space of time, and the many twists and turns unpacked along the way. There is the slight concern that due to the limited nature of the time, not every theme covered is given the weight it requires, and that this is a show that could benefit from a longer runtime, but in its present form, it is still mightily impressive. It may be extreme in some respects and may shock some and make others uncomfortable, but one thing ROLEPLAY never is is boring. The result is a show well worth paying attention to - after all, if attention really is currency, ROLEPLAY is full of riches.
ROLEPLAY plays at Soho Theatre until 21st November. Tickets from https://sohotheatre.com/events/roleplay/
Photos by Mihaela Bodlovic