REVIEW: IT’S OKAY I STILL THINK YOU’RE GREAT by Raffaella Sero at Barons Court Theatre 19 – 24 November 2024

‘the virtue of this play lies in its light-heartedness’ ★★★

There’s nothing groundbreaking about ‘It’s OK, I Still Think You’re Great’ and still, It’s OK. The story feels like a collection of familiar clichés: a protagonist turning 25 and facing a quarter-life crisis—unemployment, unfulfilled dreams, migrations, a frustrating love life, and uncertainty about her sexual identity. While these themes resonate with many, the play does not sit in any of them nor delve into it. Rather, it chooses to use them as vignettes to describe or aggravate her anxious 20’s. 

The set—a dingy kitchen—hints at an homage to kitchen sink drama, and the recurring motif of clock-ticking evokes echoes of ‘Tick, Tick... Boom!’ And stopping the time reminded me of the movie, ‘Cashback’. The Shakespearean quotes sprinkled throughout are a nice touch, reflecting the characters’ shared passion for theatre while adding a layer of poetic resonance to their strained friendships. 

The virtue of this play lies in its light-heartedness. There are some good humorous moments, especially relating to the AI voice that keeps playing the wrong music, but the play has further potential to give more comedic spark and emotional weight. The choice of listing anxiety-provoking problems for people in their 20’s can be compensated with more liveliness or energetic performance. At times, the actors’ voices are drowned out by background noise, making it hard to stay fully engaged. 

‘It’s OK, I Still Think You’re Great’ is at Barons Court Theatre for VOILA! Theatre Festival, after a 5-star Edinburgh Fringe run and Cambridge debut. The play touches on universal anxieties of being in your twenties, but its episodic structure feels more like a checklist of worries than a deep exploration of any one issue. It does have interesting moments and virtue and that said, ‘It’s OK, I Still Think You’re Great’ has potential for reflection on the turbulence of early adulthood.

Read our interview with playwright Raffaella Sero here

IT'S OKAY I STILL THINK YOU’RE GREAT 

part of Voila festival at Barons Court Theatre 19 – 24 November 2024

Company information

Writer/Director Raffaella Sero (she/her) 

Producer Arianna Rabin (she/her)

Assistant Director Elliot Aitken (he/him)

Movement Director Sam Smith (he/she/they)

Cast

Tibby Anna Marks Pryce (she/her)

Gin Naphysa Awuah (she/her/they)

Anika Dominika Wiatrowksa (she/her)