Really Good Exposure – Soho Theatre, Soho

Writer: Megan Prescott
Director: Fiona Kingwell

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Seedy Side of Showbiz“

4 / 5

Molly Thomas always dreamt of being a star, entering into the world of showbiz at a young age with her momager by her side. Constantly told to ‘be professional’ and to ‘not let opportunities pass’, she tries her best to take some of the questionable requests and sleazy remarks in her stride, in her hope of staying in the spotlight.

Molly’s childhood, spent attending dance competitions, performing age inappropriate routines was her first glimpse into the industry. Comments about her weight and looking the part are flippantly tossed around, contributing to ongoing insecurities as she gets older. She gets a big break on a teen drama, has her first on-screen kiss with a man much older than herself, and her first sex scene predates her actually losing her virginity in real life. When work dries up, the worry of being type-casted looms over her, not helped by constantly being made to feel like she needs to push more boundaries and cross more lines in the hopes to make her mark in the overcrowded industry – until it’s her turn to take back control and reclaim herself.

Writer and performer Megan Prescott (Molly) is a wonderful storyteller, radiating confidence with a self-assured on-stage presence. Known for her breakout role as Katie Fitch in Skins, there is an auto-biographical element to some of Molly’s stories, though she does clarify that although they are all true encounters, some also happened to other people within the industry. Although everyone is (hopefully) well aware of women being sexualised in the media, the me too movement and predatory industry bigwigs preying on young talent, having it so starkly laid out and unpicked, makes for, at points, quite a harrowing watch. Molly’s apprehension is shown skilfully, with her strength and determination deftly woven into her persona.

Projected images (Rachel Sample) are cast onto the background – news headlines, social media comments and a grim ‘countdown to 16’, which are a good scene reset, though they’re often very faint and hard to read, so some better visibility would really help to land more of an impact! The real pull is Prescott’s openness and willingness to touch on uncomfortable situations ensuring that the storyline progresses smoothly, sadly all too believable with every interaction.

Runs until 13th September 2025