“When the person you love hits you, it hurts.”
Patricia Gets Ready is an honest, engaging, and compelling story, dealing with the struggles of meeting not only an ex-boyfriend, but an abusive ex-boyfriend who Patricia was forced to leave. After bumping into him on the street after almost a year, Patricia is too stunned to speak and unable to articulate her feelings. She struggled to voice her well-prepared speech that she had been sitting on since the relationship ended, instead agreeing to meet him for dinner that evening. We follow Patricia through her journey of getting ready for this rendezvous, as she reminisces, questions her actions, and reflects on her mental turmoil.
The star of this one-woman show is Yasmin Dawes. Portraying Patricia as charismatic, funny, and most importantly real, Dawes lights up the stage with her high energy and does not falter throughout the performance. A difficult feat as a solo performer, there is no need for Dawes to bounce off the energy of anyone else as she embodies the stage and captivates those watching. You are drawn in by her performance and honest narrative, as it does not only feel as if Patricia is talking to herself alone in her room, but Dawes engages with the audience in a subtle but effective way.
Written as a form of self-care by Martha Watson Allpress, the writing is realistic and relatable, and encapsulates those problematic feelings of doubt and scepticism. Whilst the show deals with difficult and what was once considered taboo topics, Watson Allpress incorporates humour and light-hearted jokes to make the play easy to watch. Dawes’ smart delivery of these lines provided light relief in darker moments, portraying not only Patricia’s personality but the coping mechanism she was adopting.
The intimate but appropriate set immersed the audience in Patricia’s world, allowing Dawes to move around and use every corner of the stage. Though at some points Dawes became blocked by audience members, her delivery of lines continued to charm. The use of lighting and sound was particularly clever, Patricia’s fairy lights changing colour to reflect the mood of her anecdote and Patricia’s playlist changing to calm her when she became anxious.
Patricia Gets Ready is an honest and powerful story with the message that until you’ve experienced abuse, you cannot judge others for how they react. This informative show delves into the heart and truth of how both physical and mental abuse can affect a person and how later decisions should be met with empathy. Patricia Gets Ready is worth a watch for those looking for a pensive, educational, and emotional performance.
“When the person you love alters your entire being it is a fatality to the soul.”
Patricia Gets Ready is currently running for a UK Tour in May 2022, with the last performance in Derby on 27th May 2022. https://tinyurl.com/2sctm2jb
Trigger warnings: domestic violence and abuse, distressing themes, strong language, swearing, descriptions of a sexual nature, descriptions of violence, mention of abortion.
Age: 14+
Twitter: @patgetsready
Reviewer: Maani Way
Reviewed: 18th May 2022
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★