Roleplay, written by Hannah Reilly and produced by Francesca Moody Productions & Global Creatures, arrived at the Fringe trailing massive expectations as a pre-sold-out “one to watch”. It doesn’t disappoint. It’s a tour de force of acting, exploring difficult subjects with humour, compassion, striking theatricality, and utter conviction. I felt genuinely privileged to have snagged a ticket.
Directed cleverly by Paige Rattray with a minimalist set using mainly microphone stands and a cheesy Roleplay sign on the backdrop, Hannah Reilly builds the whole world centred around their character: a failing podcaster desperate to be noticed. The opening number serves as a foretaste of what is to come and Reilly does indeed strip off but with total control and the power is all with her. We are told some of this is true, some of it is made up and some of it is “none of our ‘f…!*g’ business!”. Which is which, we wonder by the end.
We come to love their character, we meet the best friend with the new baby, the difficult mother, the ‘English’ sometime boyfriend, the dodgy local producer and the industry ‘king maker’. All of these are conveyed simply by voice and key movements. I felt I could actually see the caustic but charming mother character before me, a retired foreign correspondent with her withering put-downs weaponised by our heroine to create a viral video.
Reilly is a consummate storyteller and sucks us into their world. Roleplay is such an exciting ride as Reilly explores how they can employ ‘their sexuality’, thinking they are the one in control when, in reality, they are the one being manipulated. When the crushing revelation finally strikes, we are in utmost sympathy. It’s all so cleverly written, pared down and honed to the essence of what we actually need to hear.
Handling tricky themes around empowerment, sexuality and identity packaged as sellable content under modern capitalism, the show could easily have felt heavy-handed. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to it, having seen the poster and subject matter. I thought it might feel too intimidating, embarrassing, or lecture-heavy. How wrong I was, Roleplay is an utter joy: funny, touching and deliciously entertaining. I was sad to see it end. Bravo to Reilly and the team for pulling off the best show of the Fringe so far.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
