Reviewer: Christine Stanton
Writer: Tom Derrington
Director: Kitty Cecil-Wright
“Personable, Natural Storytelling”
3.5 / 5
~This review was originally written for The Reviews Hub ~
Jesse Fontaine is a motivational messiah – his bestselling is book flying off the shelves and his live shows are filled with audience members desperate to control their destiny and pick the path to positive thinking. But Sylvia isn’t there to uncover her true purpose, she’s there for answers, with the hope of understanding how her son’s depression was momentarily cured after a session with Fontaine, before spiralling out of control soon after.
The narrative decision to make Sylvia (Chrissie Derrington) the focal point is a fantastic choice. Very rarely do plays about mental health or depression feature the side of the loved ones in greater detail than the person suffering themselves, but Bounce does this well. The additional layer of the show is a comment on how self-help may not always be the positive push that people need, but instead, a profit-driven path used to exploit those at their weakest. This is another uniquely told, interesting perspective from writer Tom Derrington. It would be great to see Derrington delve even deeper into the backstory of Sylvia’s son – his play is so well-written that the audience immediately feels connected to the son, even without a stage presence, so to know more about how his life had panned out to bring him to his current state of wellbeing would be really intriguing.
Chrissie Derrington is impeccable as Sylvia. Her personable approach comes across as natural and genuine, recounting her story and struggles as though she is talking to an old friend. The humorous way her character goes off on little tangents mid-way through a story about things like her nosy neighbour or the cost of her local supermarket, add to the believability of the character, which is attributed both to Tom Derrington’s well-crafted writing and Chrissie Derrington’s realistic portrayal on stage.
Nick Robinson is also a fantastic performer – emulating the likes of Tony Robbins to a tee. Bounding across the stage with his confident persona and self-assured smugness, he immediately sets the tone for his character. Most of his lines are motivational speeches or brief insights into his past before he had become a positivity powerhouse, each with slightly different approaches, yet successful with both. Robinson is a born storyteller, with perfect timing and emphasis throughout his performance.
Although a short show, at only 70 minutes long, a lot of themes and plot points are touched on, yet it never feels crammed or overthought. This is a very straightforward, well-communicated storyline, that feels realistic and relatable.
Runs until 10 June 2023
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