REVIEW: JUST LIKE HOLLYWOOD by John Clancy/ Camden Fringe show at Etcetera Theatre 29 July – 4 August 2024

‘hard hitting, uncompromising drama’ ★★★ ½

Central Standard Theatre (Kansas) has partnered with Blind Faith Productions of Philadelphia to bring this challenging play to Camden Fringe offering a unique world view. The play has been inspired by Roe v Wade case in America. For those unfamiliar with this, it is a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court (1973), effectively legalizing women’s right to an abortion across the United States. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, holding that there was no longer a federal constitutional right to an abortion (although many states do uphold the right in certain circumstances such as when the women’s life it at risk). JUST LIKE HOLLYWOOD is an intense drama, about the lack of agency that women have over their own bodies. 

The stage is bare, all apart from a baton. The performer (kylie Westerbeck) enters, dressed as a cheerleader. She begins a strangely disjointed display of skills. Straight away from the back of the auditorium a male voice from the darkness asks her to perform ‘better’. However much she tries, she continues to fail. The woman addresses the audience with a tale about her stepfather and his grooming her to want to be a performer. 

The parallel between the ideals of Hollywood and starlets desperate to appeal, is drawn.   The woman begins work with ‘a director’ (who joins her on the stage).  In a grotesque performance, the woman is cajoled to perform many tasks in order to become the ‘perfect’ example of womanhood.  It is a very male centric ideal including sex acts, cooking, giving birth, cleaning and multi-tasking.  Our protagonist continues to conform, and give her ‘best performance’, even though it’s clearly humiliating.

There is the sense of teasing the audience, with suggestions which are never quite fulfilled by the woman. The performer might be twirling her baton, dancing or singing and whilst she’s clearly capable of making this a beautiful performance (she is a skilled performer), it’s distorted and made ugly, vulgar or shocking.   It’s  ‘in-yer-face’ theatre with a sociopolitical and sociocultural context, aggressive material which is clearly designed to affect the audience. This is very successful.

Just as the drama shows the depths that the  woman is prepared to go to please her director, the man turns to the audience and asks for help to retrieve a box from under his seat. This he does and it’s presented as a gift to the woman. Two more boxes are also presented and in each the gift takes the woman further into degradation until she is completely ‘erased’ by the final ‘gift’, a ‘gimp’ mask. At this point the whole play starts to turn on its head.

It is a deeply affecting play, making clear points about the expectations put upon woman, in this case made more extreme by the man’s apparent callousness and lack of empathy with her. When the reversal comes it does feel like a triumphant.

The actors are totally committed to their roles and give riveting performances, they demand our attention. It is a well written drama (by John Clancy) which could be played in so many different ways, and this version (directed by Melanie Stewart) is totally uncompromising.  Whether it totally translates to a British audience is another matter, as so much of it relates to life in America and therefore it might be hard for Brits to enjoy any fellow-feeling. On the other hand, some of it is rather more universal, with many women possibly agreeing that they don’t have enough agency over their own lives. The fact that it is written by a man is a double whammy. 

It cannot be argued that the work is ‘entertaining’, but it is certainly hard hitting. Neither can it be claimed that there is much light relief in the form of laughter. There are certainly some laughs, but mostly it is uncomfortable to watch.   

JUST LIKE HOLLYWOOD

Camden Fringe show at Etcetera Theatre

29 July- 4 August

Book https://camdenfringe.com/events/just-like-hollywood/

Presented by Blind Faith Theatre/Central Standard Theatre

Director: Melanie Stewart

Performer: Kylie Westerbeck

Writer: John Clancy

Stage Manager: Mackenzie Trush