Haha, haha… welcome to a funny peculiar comedy, and it needs to be full of laughs as Maggie’ tragic tale unfolds. What does she have to live for after all? About a year since her beloved Nan died, she has no friends, her sister is a bitch – her mother an even bigger one. She ricochets between clearing out the house where her grandmother brought her up, karaoke evening at the Blue Anchor and a therapist with problems of his own.
Clearly written from experience, I was astonished to find that writer Victoria Oxley was taking the lead role. But wouldn’t be at all astonished to find that co-performer Emma Bispham is her BFF, such is the chemistry between them. And co-performer doesn’t start to cover the latter’s range: mother, sister, therapist, plus memorable tribute acts, by no means in a good way apart from being so hilarious, the pair collapsed in giggles at one point. Indeed, chaos reigns throughout, especially with all the rapid fire changes of costume; such is the skill with which this is done, and oh so casually: daughter turns into mother with the simple addition of a handbag. And when a couple of letters suddenly descend from the sparkly backdrop emblazoned with the title, your immediate thought is that it must be deliberate.
The tiny stage is cluttered with a table and chairs and piano (pub); armchair, table and record player (Nan’s); couple of chairs (therapist’s office), all of which add to the sense of claustrophobia. Similarly, the unsettling music when Maggie is having a panic attack makes it even more brutally painful to watch. Just imagine experiencing that… Conversely, there is plenty of music to help cheer you up, tho it may strike you as relentlessly cheerful piped. Maggie has it in for Alexa, along with everything else, constantly shouting at her.
This is the thing you see, and what makes the play outstanding. Because everything starts from poor old Maggie’s perspective but slowly expands. Just as a Greek Chorus helps our comprehension by describing events offstage, we are gradually given a clearer picture, revealing and realising that the other characters are neither 100% bad nor 100% good. And that includes Maggie herself, blissfully impervious to the fact that she gives as good (or rather, a bad) as she gets.
OK, billed as a comedy, and the dialogue really is horribly comical, yet much of it Is clinging on to the funny stuff by its fingertips. Just like our heroine, and what an incredible job Victoria Oxley does, culminating in a wonderful scene when she finally, blessedly comes into her own. No, I’m not going to spoil this with a description/ explanation.
A lot of my reviews declare a show is a must-see, perhaps glibly, given the clarity of hindsight. This genuinely is something every single person should come along to. But say maybe half, no, a third, of the audience are, like my companion, perfectly normal, what’s in it for them? Well, whether sympathy or empathy, it is vital that for those with mental health problems, there is much greater understanding.
Reviewer: Carole Baldock
Reviewed: 24th September 2025
North West End UK Rating: