REVIEW: HOOPS AND HOOKUPS by Stephanie McNeil & Helin Ekin at The Hope Theatre 10 – 24 August /Camden Fringe

‘The characters are a delight in this two-hander about sexual identity and psychological disorders’ ★★★

The writers STEPHANIE MCNEIL and HELIN EKIN who also perform the show, bring a two-hander about sexual identity and psychological disorders to Camden Fringe. These are subjects which have been very popular, particularly over the last few years. Fortunately, HOOPS AND HOOKUPS, broaches these themes with humour and charm which makes the show entertaining viewing.

The protagonists are cousins, with the older cousin (Georgia) keeping an eye on the younger (Chantal) even when she becomes a handful, because she’s very fond of her aunt (the girl’s mother) and doesn’t want to let her down. The familial bonds are very well drawn, also showing that cousins can be very different personalities.  The characterisations are a delight, making the energetic younger girl full of mischief, and mistakes, whilst Georgia is sensible, kind and caring.   It’s a very sparky and loving relationship between the pair.

During the show we find out about the girls’ sexual orientation (which isn’t straight forward and is a voyage of self-discovery). The younger girl (16 years old) begins to drop out of life. Here is a small problem for the show and perhaps the reason why the performers didn’t get a huge cheer when the show ended. The ending wasn’t clear. I believe this came about because most of us were waiting to find out what caused Chantal to leave home and drop out of school.  Without this knowledge, her mental health problem also seemed unclear, wasn’t she just lazy, self-absorbed or hedonistic?  We needed a little more (perhaps to be educated on what constitutes a mental health crises).

MCNEIL and EKIN did an excellent job with the characterisations and also the funny bits, every single one of which landed squarely and had the audience laughing out loud. The antics of Chantal were great fun and the contrast given by Georgia grounded the play.  The script followed the rule of ‘show not tell’, which was engaging, but the interest began to peter out towards the end of the show.   Whilst the pacing was exactly right, it was beginning to feel a little repetitive and the expected denouement didn’t come along to save it. The ending just seemed abrupt and the show incomplete.

So nearly a hit, perhaps it just needs a few tweaks.

HOOPS AND HOOKUPS at The Hope Theatre 10 – 24 August /Camden Fringe

https://camden.ssboxoffice.com/events/hoops-and-hookups/

Directed by Harris Albar



Reviewed by Heather Jeffery, Editor of London Pub Theatres Magazine