Double Bill: ‘Tobias, You & I’ and ‘Chicken’ – Little Angel Theatre, Islington (Camden Fringe)

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

Tobias, You & I Writer: Amelie Kirk-Slater 

Chicken Writer: Ailsa Husband

“Enjoyable & Personable”

3.5 / 5

Writers Alisa Husband and Amelie Kirk-Slater have combined forces to create the Little Pickle Theatre Company and have both bought their debut scripts to Camden Fringe as their first platform to showcase their 30-minute plays.

Tobias, You & I:

Jo (Rachel Andrews) and Odie (Joseph Mason-Coombs) spend their second date at an aquarium, in awe of the sea life surrounding them, especially a tiger shark they named Tobias. They shyly discuss their thoughts and feelings, bringing them closer together as the date progresses. As the characters leave the stage, there are brief voiceovers that signal their relationship coming to an end – drug addiction being a prevalent reason behind the split. They then return to the aquarium, two years later – reflecting on their breakup and how their lives have changed.

Kirk-Slater captures both the romantic, heartwarming beginning of a relationship as well as the awkward, uncertain dynamic after a break-up extremely well. Both Mason-Coombs and Andrews are endearing leads, representing a young couple and the progression of their relationship clearly and confidently. Although the first half of this script is only brief, the audience automatically root for the pair, their easy-going interactions believable and interesting. The voiceover to signify the drug abuse and end of the relationship could be a little clearer and would possibly be more impactful as a video projection instead to really showcase the sudden breakdown, as it doesn’t translate as effectively as it could. However, the second half where the characters are back on stage and discussing their newly navigated lives helps to clear up any confusion and indicate the change as required.

Chicken:

Chicken features a man (Harrie Jenson) forging an unexpected bond with a chicken (created by Ivy Langley and puppeteered by Daisy Row), after the death of his mother (Maureen Roche). Although the chicken was originally supposed to be cooked and eaten as part of a diet his mum was on, he can’t quite bring himself to get rid of it, instead adopting it as a pseudo-pet and allowing it to live with him. As he realises how damaging the diet products were for his mum, he gets more and more frustrated – especially because one huge corporation Dicken O’Chicken seems to be behind them all.

Husband’s story is an intriguing one – featuring themes of capitalism, consumerism and diet culture all clearly conveyed within the short script. The addition of the (surprisingly realistic) chicken puppet adds an element of humour and surrealism to what could otherwise be quite a dark and sombre storyline. Jenson is a fantastic performer who immediately captures the attention of the audience and injects humour and personality into his heartfelt performance as the grieving young man.

Although viewed as two completely separate performances, linking these two shows is the extremely personable characters that both Husband and Kirk-Slater have written. Both shows have likeable leads and relatable stories, which will help the Little Pickle Theatre Company go far with their next endeavours.

Runs until 12 August 2023