REVIEW: Runaway at Rosemary Branch Theatre / Camden Fringe 31st July – 1st August 2023

‘Engaging theatre cemented by a heart-warming performance’ ★★★★

London can be scary for a newcomer, but more than this it can simply be bewildering. Zuzana Spacirova’s solo play captures the story that lies in both of these experiences to deliver engaging theatre cemented by a heart-warming performance.

Creating a tale populated by all kinds of characters on an empty stage is a task beyond most actors but Spacirova has the talent to pull it off, projecting a personality that fills the room and lending life to a dozen others. Illustrating the ups and downs of a young woman trying to start a new life alone in London, we follow our hero Diana as she survives relationship woes, West-End ambitions and a tyrannical French dance teacher with a dark (comical) secret. Throughout all this Spacirova is adept at playing against audio clips, interacting with disembodied voices as if they were next to her in the room, marking an excellent directorial decision from Oettie Devriese.

Surprisingly very little can actually be said to actually happen plotwise as Diana navigates her mundane but compelling 20’s, dreaming, failing and growing. What keeps it from being entirely predictable is Spacirova’s sharp sense of ironic and self-effacing humour, both in her writing and delivery, which builds in enjoyment as the story goes because of a subtle magic that works her under your skin, the moments of vulnerability feeling genuine as we root for Diana more and more.

There are, however, two aspects that are less than perfect: Spacirova often has an excited energy that could do with some moderation to give a less constant sense of urgency, and the play’s ending is a bit abrupt and unsatisfying. In some ways it feels like it’s missing a final act after starting and continuing so well. Instead of a climax, we get Diana simply shrugging and moving on from her struggles. Not quite the ending we’d been led to expect.

But regardless this is quality theatre and Spacirova is an electric performer, on track to deliver a classic, with this work or another.

Runaway showing in The Rosemary Branch 31st July – 1st August 2023, 4th-26th August Edinburgh Fringe (Surgeon’s Hall)

Box office: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/runaway

Written by Zuzana Spacirova

Directed by Oettie Devriese

Produced by Beyond Border

Reviewed by Harry Conway