Reviewer: Christine Stanton
Writer: Louise Marwood
Director: Nick Bagnall
“Sniffing & Sadness”
3 / 5
Imogen Wood – more commonly known as dancer extraordinaire Rita Lynn is no longer the woman she once was. Plagued by drug addiction, her life has spiraled – constantly in an out of a toxic relationship with boyfriend Dexter, she remains in a constant cycle of sniffing, sex and sadness. Yet, although her life is far from aspirational, she’s somehow managed to blag a job as a life coach – to rich, lost souls in desperate need of a wake-up call.
Writer and performer Louise Marwood’s story has the foundations for being a hit, but as it stands, it feels as though it is still finding its feet. Rita is a well written character, but it would be great to have her fleshed out slightly more so the audience can really resonate with her plight, rather than just being a caricature of sozzled snootiness. Marwood injects the comedy into various scenes well – whether it’s scathing throw away lines about Rita’s life or her interactions with pre-recorded characters, she keeps the comedic lines quick and enjoyable.
The storyline purposefully skips from scene to scene quite messily – matching the drug addled state that Rita is constantly in. She occasionally crashes hard and fast – powerfully showcasing her emotion as she pines for Dexter’s son Buddy or the dreams she still clings to. These moments of poignancy are quick and fleeting – as she sniffs another line and fast snaps back to her curated uncaring persona. Additionally, there are ‘cut-scenes’ of various skits woven into the script – a short comedy burlesque routine, a sitcom re-enactment and 1950s style commercials. These are, although at times humorous, a little grating against Rita’s story, not quite fitting in and muddying the main narrative unnecessarily.
There were a few sound hiccups on the night we reviewed that did hinder the show slightly – one in particular being the opening scene where a pre-recorded voiceover and Marwood are supposed to speak in synchronisation – yet they never quite match up, which makes it hard to understand the competing voices. This and prolonged responses linked to the pre-records mean that sometimes the halted suspense quashes the momentum that is being built in scenes prior. This being said, when the sound issues are resolved, the pre-recorded voiceovers will be an interesting way to implement additional characters without them being on stage and allowing Marwood to stay fully invested in her role as Rita Lynn.
It’s clear to see Marwood is a natural performer, finding success with a 3-year run on Emmerdale. It’s great to see her turn her hand to writing with a show based on her own battles, which once tightened up, will be a darkly comedic insight into the struggle of addiction.
Runs Until 27 January 2024
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