Written by Isabella Heaver

Directed by Harry Conway

Review by Marina Funcasta

Theatre503

An overtly political play, the title ‘Racists, Recessions and Revolutions’ does not give away is the tender heart that carries it. An assessment of what happens when power falls into the hands of a clever, lonely young woman, we witness our protagonist as she navigates the trials and tribulations of her late teens and early adulthood, all against the sprawling backdrop of fake news and social media.

Isabella Heaver’s script speaks to the globalised, fast-paced media with compassion and confrontation. The power of Heaver’s performance, both actor and writer of the project, comes from her charming humanity; an unreliable narrator, Heaver shares deeply troubling anecdotes in a notably inviting manner. This offers the audience the space to reflect on what they choose to believe in, ultimately participating in the game that is live theatrical exchange.

The arc of our heroine’s downfall is well mapped. The only daughter of a single Macedonian mother, we are introduced to her bicultural existence through a series of affectionate scenes; Baba peeling peppers in the kitchen, alongside the overwhelming presence of her cousin Voyek. These are excellently directed by Harry Conway, who invites these worlds into the space through subtle but vivid vignettes. This early section of the script is important exposition, enabling us to understand where and how our protagonist first trips up. The family landscape, with all its tenderness and dysfunction, gives the character a much-needed humanity beyond the political machinery she eventually becomes entangled in; besides, the distinctly Macedonian setting allows us to see enter the play with questions already formed about national identity, community, and belonging.

And yet, despite its sincerity, there are points that feel overextended. The troubled family dynamics, particularly those surrounding her absent father, are occasionally a little too on the nose. These relationships are clearly important to the character’s development, but risk being overwritten for comedic effect The confessional style begins to drag, and at seventy minutes, the play might well have benefited from losing fifteen.

As a result, some of their more interesting emotional possibilities fizzle out before they can fully materialise. For example, taking on fake news, Tommy Robinson rallies and neoliberal traps from the perspective of a young woman is a fascinating premise. Yet the experience of navigating these overwhelmingly masculine spaces remained largely unspoken. There is perhaps an irony in some of the jokes — a Russell Brand reference springs to mind — but I found myself wanting a sharper interrogation of what it means to occupy these political spaces as a young woman. Her relationship with her absent father feels like an obvious entry point into this conversation, but the play never quite follows it through. There is an opportunity here for the writing to explore the intersection of gender, family and political identity with greater precision.

The production does successfully evoke questions of agency and accountability in an age where technology is blurring many lines between fact and fiction. Heaver’s performance is effective in underlining their urgency, and the result is a deeply human story.

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