A combination of silly and serious is something rarely achieved with any success. However Rhiannon Faith’s production of
Packed full of giggles, emotions and enough girl power that even the spice girls would be proud of.
Maddy and Rhiannon are best friends, so when Rhiannon made the decision that she was going to seek therapy to help her with her with all the Scary Shit in her head, Maddy came along too. Then, when Rhiannon made the decision to put on a fringe show about their experience, Maddy came along too. And thank goodness she did because this double act has managed to produce some seriously good theatre. Through dances, and poems and jokes about cocks they present a hilarious yet surprisingly poignant tale about female friendship and asking for help. Scary Shit is truly refreshing in a time where too much of the dialog surrounding mental health is about how life devastating it can be, rather that hopeful and inspiring people to seek help when they need it.
The beginning of the piece comes across as somewhat clumsy and it takes a while to feel comfortable with the level of irony in the work. Sadly this clumsiness continues through much of the choreographed sections but the overall quality of the content is so high that this does little to bring it down. The set is garish pink and looks like a child’s drawing, but in many ways this adds to the charm of the show.
The two girls have phenomenal chemistry together and bring a stunning energy to the stage. Although the humour is silly and sometimes crass it is genuinely funny and comes across as authentic to the women who are performing it. This show has more attitude than an angsty teen and the guts to pull it off. Yet despite its attitude and humour than wouldn’t be to everyone’s taste when it comes to it the show provides real emotion and a lump in the throat. Although possibly not the best show to see if you’re looking for some great dancing and choreography, this piece is a beautiful and exciting new to way to explore some pretty serious, pretty scary shit. It’s packed full of giggles, emotions and enough girl power that even the spice girls would be proud of.
