Meet Jess, a young woman with whom we can all relate to at some time in our lives. Jess is tired of her work life and bored with her home life, but is stuck in a rut she can’t get out of. She is constantly berated by her boss Val and is irritated by her boyfriend, Pete. We also meet her work-mate Erin who is determined to make the most of life and to make sure Jess does to. We are joined by Al, a new friend Pete has become obsessed with. Jess is convinced that she cannot change her life but when Erin gets on her case who knows what can happen, but the real question is what does Jess want to change?
Despite the extremely small venue this production felt very professional – there were no mistakes in blackouts or slip-ups here. It was fast paced with dark humour that often had me in stitches. Isabel Woods playing Val was particularly funny when shouting at Jess for taking a lunch break or for generally being incompetent. Lewis Reid was very effective as the arrogant yet oblivious boyfriend, Pete and Alexandra Agnew as Jess was very skilled at leading the production and being relatable to the audience. Furthermore, Peter van Doorn got the audience cheering for him, which was hilarious to watch. Lastly, although initially I wasn’t sure about her slight whiny American accent, Stephanie Wilson-Bredenkamp lifted the play as Erin and bought a lighter hearted element to proceedings.
It was all going so well! I had been laughing throughout the entire production and then the last scene drew a confusing conclusion. I won’t give away the end, but what I will say is that it just didn’t quite fit. I understand what writer David Weedall was trying to do, but it didn’t work. Another scene was needed to tie it up, whereas when we left I just felt slightly puzzled and disappointed.
