Reviewer: Christine Stanton
Writer: Andrée Bernard
Director: Michael Strassen
“No Substance Or Development“
1.5 / 5
What (is) a Woman? If being a woman is defined by this show – then a woman is pretty much an empty vessel waiting for the next man to come along and sweep her off her feet. This 2 hour long solo musical is not the championing of womanhood and the various stages of femininity as you’d expect, and instead a rather long, boring riff on a ‘Bridget Jones’ style dating history.
Written, composed and performed by Andrée Bernard, the show begins with an intimate sex scene with an American lover who she fondly reminisces about. Breathy and wistful, she recounts being pushed up against a wall and being completely in lust. We are then quickly transported back to her younger years and introduced to her first dip into the dating pool. It’s an endearing start as she coquettishly interacts with her teenage boyfriend – but the problem is, she never seems to evolve much beyond this, even when we are taken into her later years. All of the interactions feature the same girlie naivety and childlike desperation to have a fairytale ending, with no real development or progression as she gets older and wiser.
Considering it’s a solo show – she’s not even really the main character, because the majority of her memories and interactions are disappointingly reliant on the men that she is involved with, rather than channelling strength and womanhood as the title suggests. There is little substance to the script, it’s just an endless string of repetitive dating stories – whether it’s the dishy dentist from Hampstead or the casting director that takes a shine to her early on in her career, none are particularly interesting or relatable and it’s hard to engage with such vacuous sounding individuals, whose positive aspects never seem to come to the forefront, other than them being good in bed. This could be humorous if this seemed to also be the stance of the narrator, but many of the memories are gazed on fondly rather than being ‘failed, laughable, perils of dating tales.’
The second act is slightly more preferable, where there is at least the small introduction of themes outside of the narrator’s love life. Experiences with fertility struggles are only touched on briefly but pack an emotional punch. Also, the insight into growing older and growing out of the glamourous roles she was previously cast in, being replaced with voiceover work for vacuums and hotel lifts are referenced with insecurity and frustration, which really help to add an additional layer to the otherwise flat storyline, but it disappointingly gets brushed over quite quickly, before moving on to another relationship encounter.
There are nine original songs within the show, all performed by Bernard in a cruise ship cabaret style. The over-theatrical choreography feels out of place on the empty stage and never quite fits with the rest of the production, coming across a bit too forced into the storyline. ‘Reservation For One’ is the stand-out of the songs for being the most unique, focusing on her apparently commendable effort to dine alone in a restaurant without the company of a man. While the lyrics are quite questionable, it is still an enjoyable, energetic performance.
The on-stage musicians, dim lighting and stripped back set give the atmosphere of a jazz cabaret club which is in keeping with the musical performances and adds an interesting element to the production. Bernard’s vocals and storytelling abilities are clear and inviting – it’s just a shame that there isn’t much of a story being told.
Runs Until 4 May 2024
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