REVIEW: GOD ON HIGH at Drayton Arms Theatre 3 – 7 October 2023

“If we don’t hit the target in time, they’ll sell off the church and turn it into a Wetherspoons.”

Rhoda Dell both wrote and performs this one-woman show, described as “loosely autobiographical”. Old school mates, her background in theological studies and—most importantly—her mother’s early death have all fed into this tale of the fictionalised 30ish vicar Tulip, struggling to balance the demands of her dangerously underfunded parish (and its sex-crazed parishioners) with her grandmother’s nursing home complaints (she’d like more lube and some weed next time please) and her own deep and chronic loneliness: “I can’t figure out my own shit anymore because I’m figuring out their shit for them.”

A play that begins with a marijuana plant, a very loud “FUUUUUUCK” and the barefoot protagonist standing in her spilled mother’s ashes while reminiscing about childhood trips to the beach is never going to be understated. Tonally, Dell seems to be aiming for Fleabag crossed with Bridget Jones, and the later scenes particularly spiral into screwball rom-com/drug-related hijinx. Unfortunately, a lot of the jokes fall flat, which may be partly due to the difficulty of juggling them with Tulip’s sincere reflections about faith and those who failed her in her childhood: Her mother, her grandmother, “those who should have wanted me and loved me unconditionally,” did not.

Dell’s writing is most interesting when she addresses these topics directly. A scene where Tulip listens to her deceased mother’s last, abusive voice messages left me wanting to know more about her family background; similarly, her appeals to God made me wonder how she got into the Church in the first place. Did her mother raise her to be religious? Did she rebel against her family? Her old school mate seems shocked at her chosen profession, so when and why did she choose to become a vicar? The piece would gain from digging into these areas, particularly as Dell’s performance is most sincere and rooted when she takes them on. If they are the subjects most strongly connected to her own life experiences, it takes courage to tackle them on stage.

Karen Rabinowitz’s directing would benefit from cleaner scene transitions and a clearer concept for the use of audio: Why are some characters piped in while others are spoken by Dell? There are some interesting underexplored possibilities in contrasting how Tulip presents her family members, with mugging and comedy, and then playing in the brutal, sad truth.

This is a show that tackles heavy themes from a unique perspective, but hasn’t quite found its form or voice.

Cast + Creatives

Written and performed by Rhoda Dell

Directed by Karen Rabinowitz

Reviewed by Anna Clart