Boy Parts – Soho Theatre

After a huge TikTok following and cult fan group, author Eliza Clark created a fan club for women with rage. The story follows Irina, a photographer who finds art in violence and gore. She chooses her male subjects with exact images in mind, she won’t compromise her desire of ‘perfection’ up until the very last shot. Many reviews compare it to a female ‘American Psycho’ but I would argue we are exploring the endless pit of ‘The Male Gaze’ as women can never quite escape the sexualisation, the ‘pats on the head’ for their fragility- even when she shows the depth of her evil she will never be a threat. Irina is so full of rage that she’s numb. The language in the book is dirty, uncomfortable and this is what excites fans so much because it’s unusual to explore evil women this way and as you can imagine, it has pulled people into the theatre to see it as a one woman show.

Adapted by Gillian Greer and staring Aimée Kelly, Irina and her world is brought to life. A bold Geordie with a haunting presence on stage, once named ‘one to watch’ in her student days in London, now back in Newcastle working in a bar. An opportunity comes suddenly for an exhibition at Hackney Space to show her work but with growing pressure to make it more extreme by the gallery director, Irina’s boundaries are questioned by how far she’s willing to go to be deemed a respectable artist. Kelly brings a new perspective on Irina, the novel portrays her more mysterious and often leaves you wondering when she’s mimicking emotion or if she’s actually feeling. Kelly offers more vulnerability to her, less psycho by nature and more devastated by nurture. There’s more ability to reach into the tender parts of Irina’s brain with Kelly.

It truly is a perfect Halloween treat, particularly with the incredible design. It really does show great skill in making a small space feel filled with exciting and unsuspecting drama. Really interesting use of projection, small detail of wording being backwards to us as if we are in the computer screen itself. Moments where the world is being slowly invaded with a harsh pink as Irina gives up on herself, works wonderfully with the soundscape following the tinkling of little bells as Fritz the cat settles on her lap. It is a really exciting design and completely perfect for the psychological horror theme, encompassing and threatening as we sprint to the chilling end.

A great show to watch this spooky season, female rage and evil all mixed up into an early twenty’s artist. The only thing I left wanting more of was the eeriness of complicity that I felt reading the book. We fall in love with Irina from the beginning so when the reveal of what she has done came, it felt like a betrayal on our trust in people and our judgement. Maybe the pace was too steady that it felt like it didn’t land that heavily but still an extremely harrowing story that was perfect to watch on an October evening.

Playing until 25th November, https://sohotheatre.com/events/boy-parts/

Reviewer: Alice Rose

Reviewed: 26th October 2023

North West End UK Rating: