REVIEW: You Won't Help Me at The Hen and Chickens Theatre 14 - 18 April

“Pulls no punches in exploring a difficult, painful issue." ★★★

Sarah and David, a young couple in love, both have stressful jobs; she’s a commercial writer and he’s a primary school teacher. After a romantic proposal, a year into their relationship, complete with flowers, Prosecco, a bended knee and loving dance. Sarah feels like, “the luckiest girl in the world”. Her fiance even responds positively to the unplanned pregnancy. 

David, played by Callum McGregor, is charming, charismatic and polite, quite a catch for Sarah who likens herself to Princess Fiona in Shrek and is played by writer Phoenix Benham. Their friends are excited by the news - Sarah is the first in their circle to tie the knot and as wedding plans ensue, there is mounting pressure within the relationship and David’s job. Strangely enough, we hear nothing else about Sarah’s job after the opening scene.

The tricky thing about knowing exactly what a play is about before you see it, this is loudly promoted as a domestic abuse play, is there are no surprises. The themes, written large in the marketing material and the initial audio voiceover of necessary trigger warnings, remove any uncertainty at all what you're in for. As David’s behaviour turns from reasonable to unreasonable and from protective to controlling, the audience become complicit bystanders, as the cycle of isolation, manipulation, coercion and physical violence unfolds. 

Based on a true story, this is a realistic portrayal of how trust is eroded and abusers flourish in secret and silence. The responses of their friends, a demonstrative tight circle, to what’s going on are to deny and rationalise. There’s endless banter with the bros and plenty of giggling with the girls and with a cast of 8, the gang of pals bring amusing improvised dialogue and great energy to the heavy emotional space this subject necessitates.   

Michael, a droll cynic, is engagingly performed by Fin Phoenix. He is Sarah’s best friend and comes closest to seeing what's going on and confronting the situation. His mum was a victim of domestic abuse so his radar is more attuned to the signs. Kelly (Esme Pembury Smith) also senses something awry; her friend has become more absent and closed off but she too turns a blind eye and ultimately, both rationalise away their dark suspicions.

YOU WON”T HELP ME, gives plenty of space for the audience to witness the unfurling of David’s true nature, his insecurities and mounting threats as Sarah, bewildered and shocked, is caught on the back foot and proceeds to explain, forgive, resist and retreat. At two hours with an interval, this is a long production, composed of many short scenes with clunky transitions. There’s lots of shuffling on and off stage which reminds us we’re watching a play and break moments of emotion. This is a structural issue, not a narrative one which sets up the story and builds tension well. 

Stylistically, there's a thread of breaking the fourth wall at certain points: the action freezes and Sarah addresses the audience directly with present-tense exposition, just in case anyone missed something. This device could be used more creatively to introduce a counter narrative or future voice but is used generally to state something evident in the action. 

There’s a clever scene that explores power dynamics between a female and male police officer. DI Peters (Johnny Mark) has bought David’s version entirely that she ‘likes it rough’ DI Harding by contrast, a female officer (Samantha ‘O’ Connor) is more suspicious and empathetic but she is shut this down with a condescending attitude. This interesting inclusion illustrates that institutionalised misogyny and power imbalance happen in the real world, not just the online manosphere. 

According to a recent survey, over 1.4 million women experience domestic abuse every year in the UK. YOU WON’T HELP ME - pulls no punches - no irony intended - in dramatising and exploring this difficult, painful issue that often happens within relationships and behind closed doors. Working alongside Women’s Aid and the ManKind initiative, Distorted Rebel Productions hope to raise awareness and encourage those who suspect someone is being abused, to speak out and to not be that person who did nothing.

Box Office https://unrestrictedview.co.uk/events/you-wont-help-me