REVIEW: MAYBE I SHOULD STOP at Lion and Unicorn Theatre 22 – 26 October 2024

‘a triumph from start to finish’ ★★★★★ 

Life is a competition. Or so it would seem for Aaron, who is determined to be as good at mourning his father as Arnold Schwarzenegger is at showing off his muscles. Oscar Brudenall-Jones’s debut one-man show ‘Maybe I Should Stop’ fluctuates impressively from moments of tragedy to moments of hilarity: a triumph from start to finish. We follow a young man as he travels to St. Ives to scatter his dad’s ashes on their favourite beach, a journey which Brudenall-Jones navigates with vulnerable skill and layered humour. The writer and performer oscillates between the darkness and the light of his own grief and delivers a play that is funny, moving and adept.

         With only a chair, a rucksack and a box of Celebrations, Brudenall-Jones departs on an exciting expedition in the Lion & Unicorn Theatre, commanding his audience’s attention with every line. We really root for his character – carrying his dad’s ashes on Southwestern Railway in a tub of chocolates – and we yearn for him to reach the beach without being caught. The highs and lows of the story are testament to a sharply executed script, whose rhythm and pace is as masterful as Brudenall-Jones’s impressions of Sean Connery (i.e. very masterful indeed). Further to this he has created a wholly relatable character, who sidesteps confronting his guilt with humour and showmanship. Brudenall-Jones navigates challenging and personal themes in a play that encapsulates the very spirit of pub theatre, making the most of minimal props and design to spin a story rich in humanity and depth.

         Equally impressive are the design and the direction, which work in harmony to build on themes of mental health and isolation. The lighting design by Conor Costelloe is understated but effective, shifting between moodier blues and brighter states and descending into chaos together with Aaron’s mind. Director Esalan Gates ensures every scene is distinctive, optimising the space and the performer’s remarkable range.

 ‘Maybe I Should Stop’ has an electric energy which is both darkly comic and soul-stirring. Brudenall-Jones embodies his character with a cathartic naturalism founded in lived experience, and as such has created a courageously honest show. Despite its dark themes, the play is a total delight, and I urge everyone – whether they have lost a loved one or not – to go to laugh, cry and experience this play.

Maybe I Should Stop by Oscar Brudenall-Jones

Lion & Unicorn Theatre

22^nd – 26^th October 2024

Box office: https://www.thelionandunicorntheatre.com/whats-on

Instagram: @may.beishouldstop

Written and performed by Oscar Brudenall-Jones

Directed by Esalan Gates

Lighting design by Conor Costelloe

Reviewer Bio

Imo Redpath is a writer and actor for theatre, radio and TV. She graduated with an MFA in Scriptwriting from 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.