Just Like a Woman, theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, Review

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Rating (out of 5)
2
Show info
Company
Breathe Out Theatre
Production
Rob Johnston (Writer & Director)
Performers
Emma Romy-Jones; Katherine Godfrey; Kathryn Sinclair
Running time
50mins

A piece of feminist writing, this show is a slow starter that never quite seems to take off. The premise of a factory where the work is ‘noble and essential’, where women do all the work and are under the control of unseen men, is interesting but the development of this storyline meanders. This may be in part due to the absurdist nature of this production, but it feels as if something is missing in the execution of this.

There is some clever writing in this show, but there are some sharp one-liners that need to be delivered on point to ensure their message is clear, and that is where the show falters. It may be a timing issue but the one-liners often go awry, with several key moments and points connected to commentary seeming to drift, a beat or two too slow. As a result, the audience is heard as recognising the point, but not necessarily reacting to the comedic impact that these comments should be capturing.

While shock value can have a point, in this piece, rather than driving through the point of the storyline, it seems unconnected. Moments describing challenging experiences of women all over the world bring some depth to the piece, but any follow-through of this seems lost and under-developed, trailing into nothingness, rather than a call to arms.

Times: 6-17 August (not 11), 7:10pm