The intimate theatre space above the Lion & Unicorn transforms into an express supermarket for Checkout. Written and performed by Kitty Evans, this one woman show invites us into the world of Lucy. Her life has not exactly turned out how she envisioned it would. Stocking the shelves and sweeping the floors of a convenience store, she is restricted by routine and confined to an existence absent of any fun or flair.
As Lucy regales us with facets of her daily life, we get to know some of her colleagues. Manager Dave is always invading her personal space and making awkward jokes which only he laughs at. Model employee Belinda loves the sound of her own voice on the tannoy, especially when it’s to instruct Lucy to mop up milk or carry out other mundane tasks. But Lucy grins and bears it, going through the motions from clock-in to clock-out before heading home to watch Love Island with some left over Chinese and half a bottle of cheap wine. She still lives at home, her mother wondering when she’ll get a ‘proper’ job.
Things take a positive turn when a Tinder conversation becomes a Tinder date. Finding herself at Soho House with Hugo, Lucy relishes spending time with someone her own age, even if he is on the pretentious side. Â When an old school friend enters the shop, she soon finds herself tempted out once again. Reuniting with some of the girls and guys she grew up with, Lucy is embarrassed about where her life has taken her in comparison but adopts a positive outlook nonetheless and heads off for a good time.
As the alcohol flows, her so called friends’ true feelings about her rise to the surface and, without giving any spoilers, the night culminates with Lucy’s world imploding as old wounds are unexpectedly reopened. A dramatic gear shift occurs and we quickly switch from the light and the comical to the darker aspects of Lucy’s life. We finally learn why she has become so isolated. After opening up to her mother, which inevitably brings them closer, Lucy embraces a newfound confidence. As she mops the floors at work, there is the sense that she is also cleansing herself of the dirt that has weighed her down for so many years.
A great deal is condensed into just one hour and while some might argue the play meanders too much during its first half, others will take pleasure in Evans’s astute and often amusing observations of people and their behaviours. The heavier, serious strand of the play might benefit from being afforded more weighting as the mix of humour and trauma feels somewhat unbalanced. That said, this is an engaging piece of theatre littered with relatable colloquialisms, easy laughs and a well-drawn central character. Crucially, it also has something to say.
Evans is a magnetic stage presence – her use of voice to denote different characters being one of many highlights – and we depart intrigued as to what the writer and performer comes up with next.
Checkout is at Lion & Unicorn Theatre until 6th July
