REVIEW: HOW CAN(T) I HELP? Camden Fringe at The Lion and Unicorn Theatre 2 - 3 August 2024

‘delightfully engaging, witty, and relatable’ ★★★★

Holly Gow’s performance as a GP receptionist in her one-woman show ‘How Can(t) I Help?’ at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre was delightfully engaging, witty, and relatable. Playing to a full house, Gow’s opening choreography to Wilson Pickett’s ‘Land of 1000 Dances’ prepped the crowd for 50 minutes of impressions, anecdotes from her time in the front row at the NHS and the heart-warming realisation that “everyone’s fighting off their own shit…but there are people that help you see through that shit.” Guttural belly laughs from the audience indicated Gow’s seamless ability to multi-role as a host of hilarious clientele – from a dubious mother collecting her baby’s urine sample, to an old (smelly) man flirting from behind a pot of his own poo.

The show moves through a regular Monday at Flowerbank Surgery, and the audience is greeted with appointment cards reading, ‘If you are unable to keep your appointment, please don’t contact us. Like ever.’ While on occasion the narrative arc takes a backseat in favour of moments where the character indulges in self-pity or attempts to win her patients’ approval, the play is neatly punctuated with an ever-ringing landline that delivers a silly selection of the British public shouting about their problems. The play deals – with both irreverence and fragility – with the intricacies of working for the NHS during the pandemic, during the Tory government, and during the 21^st century, the latter of which grants an array of millennial and Gen-Z quips: “Have you tried to wash it out with your own tears? You can borrow mine.” The receptionist sips, as often as she can, from a vat of tea marked ‘MINE’S A LARGE ONE,’ and does her best to delay her morning ‘mindfulness’ break until 8:20 am.

Amongst a collection of sketches and stories that recount her best (and mostly worst) times working as a GP receptionist, Gow weaves in a storyline that serves as a vessel to examine human connection. The relationship between a recurring character – an old Irish lady called Maureen – and the receptionist is a refreshing take on empathy; Maureen calls frequently to check the time of her appointment, and Gow’s character is always happy to help because she is a reminder of her nan who died of Alzheimer’s. Maureen has a fall and can’t make her appointment, and it’s clear that the receptionist cares deeply for her wellbeing, despite spending much of the play dealing out unbent cynicism and quick wit: “The doctor’s going to give you a call this afternoon, if you could just try NOT to do it again?” The play closes with an epilogue on human nature and our ability to empathise with people we barely know; Gow cogitates on kindness and reminds her audience that we don’t get further in life by being cruel.

‘How Can(t) I Help?’ is an inspiring debut play from writer and performer Holly Gow, whose commitment to the production as her own director, dramaturg and set designer is enriched by her charming and gifted performance.

How Can(t) I Help? by Holly Gow

Lion and Unicorn Theatre

2^nd - 3^rd August 2024

Box office https://camdenfringe.com/events/how-cant-i-help/

Holly Gow as The Receptionist

Lighting design by Melanie Percy

Reviewer Bio

Imo Redpath is a writer and actor for theatre, radio and TV. She graduated with an MFA in Scriptwriting at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and her plays ‘Foxes & Rabbits’ and ‘Pigs’ are currently in development. She writes a comedy blog on Substack about living with ADHD in London.