REVIEW: IS THIS THING ON at The Hope Theatre 12 – 16 November 2024

‘A glimpse into the brilliant mess that is young womanhood’ ★★★★

‘Is This Thing On’ is a two-hander, offering an emotional tennis match of female friendship, feminism, and how our own stories can impact those closest to us. The play follows Mary and Liz: best friends; flatmates; performers who share the same stage. From the start we can tell they are close, with seemingly little boundaries or off-limit topics of conversation between them. But they neither seem opposite nor the same – rather a complex mismatch of different lived experiences as well as habits picked up from each other. To create clear characters such as these – brilliantly performed by Ellie Campbell and Megan Keaveny - who bounce off each other so well, is a real feat that goes beyond believable. I see pieces of myself, my friends, my enemies in them.

The space was brilliantly utilised too, opting to make the intimate Hope Theatre into a traverse setting, highlighting the intense tunnel vision of the central friendship, with no hiding spots. The use of lighting and sound emphasised this well, both as gig theatre-esque devices and disruptive transitions – the stakes felt high; the dramatics matched.

Aside from capturing the complex, often intense, dynamics of new female friendship, the play goes further: delving into each one’s insecurities of being ‘bad feminists’, bad friends, bad lovers. Cheeky humour coupled with direct address created a garishly uncomfortable atmosphere that you couldn’t help laugh at and lean into.

Often though, with the central story being so strong, the more general discussions of these big themes felt a bit on the nose. Primarily, the play offers brilliant nuance, which was sometimes confused or over complicated by the characters’ reflections on their feelings about wider society. When the world of the play lives inside their bubble, it felt disjointed to be hearing about other people’s.

Running at just over an hour, ‘Is This Thing On’ gives a glimpse into the brilliant mess that is young womanhood, by presenting characters you feel like you’ve known for years in an unconditional love triangle with themselves, each other, and the wider world. 

Is This Thing On

The Hope Theatre

12-16th November, 7.45PM

https://www.thehopetheatre.com/productions/is-this-thing-on/

CAST:

Ellie Campbell

Megan Keaveny

CREATIVES:

cast

Mary - ELLIE CAMPBELL

Liz - MEGAN KEAVENY

writers

ELLIE CAMPBELL & MEGAN KEAVENY

producer

PJ CUNNINGHAM

set designer

MAYA HERITAGE

lighting designer

DOUGLAS KUHRT

sound designer

SOFIA ARMELLA

Reviewed by Anna Rastelli