Written by Morna Young
Directed by Alex Fthenakis
Review by Laurie Kemmett
What’s in a name? A young woman stands on a stage, lamenting this question, provoking the audience to ponder it as well. No, it’s not Shakespeare’s Juliet. This is Morna Young’s Joy, our protagonist and titular character.
Joy hates her name. As she mentions many (many) times during the course of this lunchtime show, it’s an oxymoron. Joy is depressed and lonely after the death of her fiancé and both parents. We meet her as she is going on a first date with the reprehensible Stephen, who is telling nonsensical joke after nonsensical joke. When Joy doesn’t laugh at any of them, he tells her to get a sense of humour – kickstarting the rest of the show. Joy goes on to create her own five step programme to find said humour.
Joy as a character is immediately recognisable. She’s awkward, nerdy, a bit distant, and yet instantly likeable. When the audience are told she works at a library, it makes sense. She’s wearing wool tights, a tartan skirt, and a cardigan. Working together, designer Gillian Argo and actor Naomi Stirrat build a clear picture from the get go. This is aided by the set design. A single microphone flanked by a giant sign bearing the name of the show, along with a flickering sign asking for ‘Quiet Please’ sets up the stage to feel more comedy club than play, a choice that works well with the content of the show itself.
The play deteriorates slightly in its direction choices. Every time there is a scene change, the lights fade and an omniscient voice sets the next scene. While the lighting choices at these points are impressive, there’s potential for a far slicker way of portraying the passage of time, especially when it feels so disjointed with the comedy club vibe that has been set. It isn’t helped that Joy reacts in the same way every time a transition occurs. Additional choices mean that parts of the play Are less cohesive than they could.; from the first scene, Stirrat plays the part of obnoxious Tinder date Stephen as a dislikeable character. She does this to great effect, but it means that when Joy goes on her journey to find her sense of humour, her motivation doesn’t align with how her character has been presented thus far.
Stirrat is a fun actor to watch at work, especially when doing voice work. Each character is distinct and individual, at times making the audience forget they are watching a one-person show. Despite Joy being presented as a humourless character, the audience were in tears at points from splitting their sides. Highlights include her devolution into mania while exploring ‘Doctor Doctor’ jokes, and a fun metatheatrical moment in which the audience participate in ‘Knock Knock’ jokes. She keeps the pace up throughout – truly making Joy feel like a Bridget Jones for the Scottish audience.
Bridget Jones for a Scottish Audience
Joy ran at until March 21st
Running time – Fifty minutes without interval
Photo credit: Mihaela Bodlovic
Review by Laurie Kemmett– contact@corrblimey.uk
This Gander prefers to fly under the radar, but you’ll usually find them in Glasgow!
