Viral Parenting Hell
★★★★☆
Motherhood is often heralded as life’s ultimate calling but Anna Morris’s new play portrays an understandably under-discussed perspective where women regret having children. What if everything wasn’t roses, sunshine and smiley faces and instead a cloud of what ifs close in? In this production, a mother’s internal insecurities are broadcast for the world to see when she is filmed on a flight calling her child the c-word. The video goes viral and her world falls out of the sky.
This is unquestionably a darkly comic take on incredibly real issues and Morris is brilliantly dry and cutting as the protagonist Marnie. The sarcasm and nonchalance attitude at first seems cold and stiff but as the play develops that persona begins to make sense as her backstory is pieced together. The narrative flits between different moments in Marnie’s route to and through parenthood, exposing further realities of fertility and the pressure placed on women to follow pre-prescribed societal norms.
Morris writes and performs this as a one-woman show, shifting nicely between the supporting characters. This is where she often excels. Moving between the out-of-touch housemate, her kindly but unhelpful parents, and her tantrum-loving toddler, she drives the humour into each one of them before pulling the rug out when one decides to say something deeply hurtful or jarring. These moments of juxtaposition are excellently crafted, with gasps escaping from the audience at each jerk or reveal.
This production is elevated by a clever use of creative captioning, positioned above Morris. Utilising designs such as airport-style departure boards, the captions are embedded within the theming, often accenting the dialogue or giving us a styled insight into the personalities of the supporting characters - a nice touch blending accessibility and design.
There is definite scope for this piece to grow but its rawness paired with slick comedy makes it an hilarious and engrossing hour of theatre, a budding combination of Fleabag and Motherland. Morris will spark conversations with this piece and ultimately isn’t that what theatre is all about?
Running until 15th March - Tickets
Photography - Steve Gregson
