In End Game, Katie Reddin-Clancy’s mesmerising one-woman play, cabaret performer Joanie is having a difficult day. After decades in showbiz, she has finally been felled by a heart attack at the age of eighty and is now stuck in the afterlife, forced to undergo an excruciating soul review by her spirit guide, Pam. Deluded Joanie believes she was one of the greats, on a par with Judi Dench and Mark Rylance. In reality, her career highlights include playing a shoplifter in The Bill, a recurring role as Nurse 2 in Call the Midwife, and—best of all—being crowned Miss Weston-Super-Mare. When asked by Pam who she has learnt from, she answers, “Myself!” But in her soul review, Pam reveals the consequences of Joanie’s self-obsession and carelessness towards others, such as struggling young actress Eva. Joanie declares she never reads her reviews (although somehow she knows she’s never received a five-star one), but unfortunately for her, this is one review she cannot avoid.
From hilarity to poignancy
Reddin-Clancy brilliantly brings all these characters, plus several secondary ones, to life. With just a few wig and costume changes to aid her—the stage takes the form of Joanie’s dressing room, where she can help herself to one of her assorted hairpieces and gowns—she transforms into each character, perfectly capturing their 'soul' before seamlessly shifting to another and then back again. She also successfully interweaves song and piano into the show, with Joanie performing showgirl tunes and Eva giving a heartrending rendition of Radiohead’s Creep as she contemplates her descent from promising young actress to downtrodden wife and mother.
It’s at this point in the show that the tone shifts from hilarity to poignancy: as well as witnessing Eva’s decline, we discover Joanie’s darkest secret—and how it connects the two characters’ stories. Joanie’s subsequent journey to redemption is beautifully written and performed by Reddin-Clancy. Joanie may never have received a five-star review during her less-than-illustrious career, but Reddin-Clancy certainly deserves one for this show. She has been racking them up at fringe festivals across the UK and Australia—here’s another to add to her collection.
