Writer: Evie Killip
Director: Alice Brittain
Reviewer: Christine Stanton
“Hilariously Entertaining“
5 / 5
Keira and Rory haven’t seen each other for over 10 years – but they’ve recently reconnected online, and after some unexpected risqué texts, he’s on his way to her flat for a 2am booty call. Could this be the start of something new or will he be the one that got away all over again?
With a decade between them, there’s a lot to catch up on. Keira (Evie Killip) is off to Ed Fringe to perform her stand up routine, gaining success on the comedy circuit and starting to make a name for herself in the industry. She lives permanently in London now, her original Northern accent faded over time, much to Rory’s (Rowan Polonski) amusement. Rory is now in finance, and aside from a bad patch where his gambling problem got out of control, he’s back on track and self-proclaimed a long way off from his ‘semi fuckboy persona’ that he had during their days working at a Slug & Lettuce together. But although the attraction between them still burns brightly, there’s questions from the past that remain unanswered, with curiosity and closure taking precedence over a hook up, at least initially anyway.
Evie Killip is absolutely exceptional both as a performer and writer. Her hilarious, natural, relatable script is brilliantly engaging and does a fantastic job of introducing the characters and maintaining audience interest in them throughout. Both characters are written with an impressive amount of depth considering the short run time – with the audience learning a lot about their past, their weaknesses and their relationship with each other. Yet, although packed with detail, it’s never heavy or over-explained, which helps the punchy writing remain well-paced and flowing. Although the show is predominantly a comedy, there are some slightly more serious conversations had as well, which helps establish the characters even further. The occasional flashbacks to the past are well integrated by director Alice Brittain, never disrupting the momentum, and instead seamlessly weaving them into the storyline.
The dialogue between the pair is constantly back and forth and excellently entertaining. Her nerves and determination to appear cool and accomplished, with Killip’s exasperated facial expressions as she accidently says the ‘wrong’ thing are gold, while Rory’s measured charisma and confident demeanour is portrayed perfectly by the talented Polonski, with the occasional bursts of vulnerability showcased well also. Both character personalities level each other out, equally complimenting and clashing with an intriguing balance. Killip and Polonski have great on-stage chemistry, bouncing off each other well, perfecting their comedic timing and being wholeheartedly believable in their roles.
Both Killip and Polonski have extremely promising careers ahead of them if this show is anything to go by! ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’ is filled with humour, warmth and charm and is well worth a watch.
Runs until 12th April 2025
