AN INTIMATE BUT UNEVEN EXPLORATION OF GIRLHOOD

By Brookemorgan | @brookemorgan.co ⭐⭐ | Press Invite

Watching Flush on Saturday was an interesting experience. There were definitely moments that worked really well emotionally and some themes that genuinely stayed with me afterwards, but at the same time, I found parts of it difficult to connect with.

My absolute FAVE was Liv, played by April Hope Miller. For me, Liv absolutely carried the entire show. Her performance was outstanding from start to finish. She actually reminded me so much of Nessa from Gavin & Stacey. Blunt, emotionally layered, funny without trying too hard, but also deeply vulnerable underneath it all. I loved the way she explored feeling underappreciated while constantly showing up for everyone else. Her loneliness within her friendship circle and her longing for genuine connection felt very real.

One of the biggest issues for me was that I didn’t fully understand a lot of the cultural references and jokes throughout the show. Because of that, some scenes that were clearly meant to be funny or impactful just didn’t hit for me. I also felt the pacing was uneven. Certain moments felt stretched out longer than they needed to be, especially considering the style of writing. 35 minutes in, it started to drag and I honestly think the production could have been a lot tighter in terms of run time.

I really appreciated how all the different storylines existed within one confined bathroom space. It created an intimate atmosphere where themes of girlhood, belonging, sexual assault, friendship and life milestones could all collide naturally. Some of those conversations felt raw and honest in a way that many productions shy away from.

For me Jazz Jenkin’s acting felt two-dimensional. This could have been a representation of how she felt out of place in a foreign space but the prolonged crying scenes and exaggerated facial expressions and quivering lip moments started to grate on me after a while. Given the emotional subject matter, I understood why those choices were made, but the delivery just didn’t translate for me. Still, one thing I can’t fault was the accents. Every actor executed them seamlessly, and that level of consistency really showcased their skill sets.

Overall, if you understood Flush’s joke reference points I think you’d have a good time, and if you want to support LGBTQIA+ talent, it’s defo a must watch. Girlhood is a topic I’m looking to see explored more.

Flush is running at Arcola Theatre until Saturday 6 June.

WEBSITE

⭐⭐

Photo Credit: Alex Brenner