REVIEW: In | Secure at Lion & Unicorn Theatre / Camden Fringe 18 – 19 August 2023

‘clever and powerful piece that explores the invasion of Ukraine’ ★★★ ½

In | Secure is a powerful one woman show, performed expertly by Valery Reva and directed by Rachael Gavin Stott, that explores the invasion of Ukraine, that we are reminded is still very much going on and very much affecting thousands of people, (even as you read this review), through comedy, cabaret, song, sound, and harrowing personal stories. At the heart of In | Secure is how the invasion has affected and continues to affect Ukrainians across the diaspora in different ways. Whilst the links between the many things that this show manages to fit in could be tidier and clearer, the strong performance from Reva and some standout moments make this a Camden Fringe show that everyone should see, particularly those people who have found themselves disassociating from what is happening in the Ukraine.

In | Secure has the audience laughing, crying, and contemplating as Reva expertly guides them through the multitude of elements that this play packs tightly into one hour. We start off with a trivia quiz that is joyful and captivating as Reva has the audience in the palm of her hands from the get-go. We are then offered audience involvement, a song, a magic trick, some harrowing monologues, a thought-provoking soundscape, and moments of social and political commentary. Within all these elements, In | Secure unpacks the issues of social media, the differing effects of war, feelings of loss, anger, and guilt, and the normalisation of the conflict. All these elements and themes are presented in a clever and powerful piece that is impressive in its ability to fit so much in. What ties everything together, is the personal connection that Reva has to the topics, questions, people, and stories that she is presenting. You really feel how much everything in this full-packed show means to Reva and you feel privileged to have shared it with her.

What is missing from this impressive production, are links between the different moments. In | Secure could be even stronger if Stott provided more refined and clever transitions, creating a more coherent and tight-knit production. Furthermore, there were some incredibly strong parts that are worthy of future success but there were also some weaker elements that felt underdeveloped and out-of-place in comparison. Reva’s reenactment of a grandmother talking about the devastating destruction of her home and family, for example, was a performance that is worthy of much more than a small black box theatre above a north London pub. And a moment of sensory explosion as torches flash, dialogue is spat out, and an unnerving soundscape is rattled out is also a highlight moment. Yet a discussion of past relationships, some cryptic dialogue that narrates a magic trick, and an uncomfortable use of an audience member were, for me, less impressive. As Reva and Stott develop In | Secure, which they definitely should, I would urge them to focus more on the stronger moments and to remove anything that may detract from these. That being said, it is important that when a topic like this is tackled, that there are moments of trivia and light-heartedness that make the harrowing moments even more powerful as they follow a moment of laughter. Perhaps these less developed moments offer this essential light relief?

Overall, Stott’s direction was engaging and playful with a good use of space. Stott’s use of sound and light was particularly impressive and it is clear that she created a space that allowed Reva’s impressive storytelling skills and personal experiences to come to the forefront. It was Reva’s engaging, honest, and layered performance that had her expertly tackling a wide range of characters, experiences, tones, and emotions, that was the standout aspect of In | Secure. You should make sure to catch her in action.

Twitter @ValeryR_actress

Reviewed by Amy Tickner