Reviewer: Christine Stanton
Writer: Jonathan Blakeley
Director: Samantha Pears
“Humorous, Poignant, Compelling“
4 / 5
One constant in Chloe’s life was always her teddy bear. Given to her as a baby by her grandma, it has always been around – from birthday parties, holidays, and even travelling with her when she moved out of her parents home as an adult. The bear has seen it all and has vowed to always be there for her.
Told through the eyes of said teddy bear – writer and performer Jonathan Blakeley takes us on a journey through Chloe’s life and the milestones she has reached along the way. Blakeley is a fantastic writer and performer and makes the story extremely compelling from beginning to end. Though you never physically see Chloe, or any of her family and friends, her life events are so well compiled that you automatically manage to build a connection with her. The story is told in a straight-forward linear fashion – beginning at her birth, the bear is apprehensive about meeting the young girl, but quickly becomes part of her life. There is no real signifier as a start or end point to each memory, but each story is told clearly, allowing the audience to always be completely aware of the stage of life Chloe is currently in.
Many of the sweet, poignant memories are juxtaposed with the brashness of the straight-talking bear, creating some brilliantly humorous moments within the narrative. Whether it’s at Chloes 5th birthday party and the curly haired c*** Lucy has shown up in a better costume than her, or whether he’s disgustedly watching over her sloppy first kiss as a teenager, the contrast of his commentary against the story itself is fantastic. Naturally as Chloe gets older, the bear becomes less prominent in her life – moving from her bed, to the bedside table, eventually into a box labelled memories. It’s actually quite sad seeing the connection between them fade as she gets older and loses her innocence – go home and get your bear out of storage immediately!
Nearing the end of the story, the bear is pulled back out of storage, washed and stitched back up – presented back to Chloe in her later years of life as a memory. Initially the bear is confused and disorientated – Chloe looks like her mum, how many years had he been shut away in the cupboard without her? Slowly, after a few visits from some home help, he pieces together that Chloe isn’t well. Her memory has deteriorated and although it’s never explicitly diagnosed, she seems to have a form of dementia or Alzheimer’s. Her fragmented memories occasionally come back slightly, and there’s a nice touch from designer Constance Villemot with the ‘boys list’ that she wrote in school being projected back on to the stage – flickering with random pieces missing, perfectly capturing an almost lost memory. Once again, the bear becomes a constant in her life, linking her back to her past and comforting her in the present, in a touching full circle moment within the narrative.
This is such a powerfully written story that is wholeheartedly moving as you are taken through Chloes life. The humour injected into her early years is wonderfully embedded, and the emotional latter half of the show is delicately sensitive, making for an extremely touching show that is well worth a watch.
Runs Until 9 March 2024
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