YOU’LL LEARN AS YOU LAUGH, AGE IS A FEELING IS AN UNMISSABLE DELIGHT

By Madeleine Anderson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

Age Is A Feeling, written and performed by Haley McGee, arrives at Soho Theatre Walthamstow with a reputation that is well deserved.

The Olivier-nominated, Fringe First Award-winning production has already enjoyed sold-out runs at Soho Theatre, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and Soulpepper Theatre Company in Toronto.

The piece charts the defining moments, rites of passage and turning points of an adult life. The story begins on the day you turn 25, when your father reminds you that your brain has finally finished developing, and unfolds through the years until the inevitable final chapter: death.

Each night the audience chooses six stories from a possible twelve that together form the life unfolding onstage. The remaining six remain untold, creating a performance that is never the same twice.

These small choices guide the narrative through different stages of life, creating an intimate sense that the audience is shaping the journey.

It took me a moment to settle into the direct, dry rhythm of McGee’s monologue. But the tone soon revealed itself as central to the show’s quiet power. Her delivery is understated and wry, bringing levity and charm to very internal and at times existential themes.

As the years tick by, 28, 33, 40, 63 and on, McGee repeats the phrase “age is a feeling.” Each time it lands differently. What begins as a curious statement gradually gains weight and sincerity, resonating more deeply with each return.

Throughout the performance, by nymph-like McGee who gently sketches the experience of growing up: learning how to exist in the world, finding your voice, understanding how others see you and how you come to see them in return.

Everything is delivered with light observational brushstrokes that allow humour and vulnerability to come together in an always compelling and often funny mix.

The staging adds an additional layer of quiet enchantment. Set designer Zoë Hurwitz places oversized paper blooms in a mound of muddied grass, dramatically illuminated by lighting designer Daniel Carter-Brennan. An empty  laddered seat waits before the story begins.

The sense of magic is heightened by the recently renovated Soho Theatre Walthamstow itself, a venue whose transformation makes it worth visiting in its own right.

Age Is A Feeling was performed at Soho Theatre Walthamstow from 5 to 7 March.

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Photo Credit: Marc Brenner