Presented by Gallus and Silly Mission Productions

Review by Laurie Kimmett

The Penny at Gilded Balloon Patter House

What would you do if you met a celebrity and struck up a conversation? Tell them about yourself? Ask about their work? Or start a months-long digital relationship resulting in a long-distance, online love affair for the ages? Because in Parasocial Activity, the last option is the one Jenny opts for.

Jenny is a down-on-her-luck ‘London based creative’ who, on a surprise Mother’s Day trip back up to Glasgow, ends up in a Costa Coffee bumping into an A-list celebrity whose name rhymes with Shmames Schmacavoy. Egged on by her concerned mother and laddy brother, she engages him in a conversation about a play he’s doing that night in Glasgow. He offers to get her tickets, follows her on Instagram, and the snowball begins to roll. In her debut solo show, tour-de-force Briony Martha explores parasocial relationships, loneliness, ennui, and the lengths people will go to to forge a connection in the modern age. 

A one-person show is always a difficult feat to pull off, but Martha makes it look easier than breathing, shifting characters and voices like a chameleon changing colours. Her expressive and hyperactive Jenny never strays into caricature, and you almost forget that most of her characters are played by microphones when she speaks. This is in no small part due to the sharp and hilarious writing. Megan Brewer’s expert direction does nothing other than let the writing and acting shine for itself – a clear mark of a talented director. 

Also impressive is Rosie Bailey’s technical direction. Despite a few hiccups with microphones, lighting changes are swift and precise, and Bailey can cue a voiceover like a magician. As the first twist hits, the technical design takes a sharp new direction itself, upping the stakes and contrast beautifully. 

The twists and turns of this production never feel unearned, and Briony Martha is once again cemented as one to watch. It’s not difficult to see – this is theatre at its finest and does the Scottish creative scene proud. 

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