MAKE ME FEEL – I WANTED TO FEEL MORE

By Natasha U’Ren-Ashdown | @tasha.ua ⭐⭐ | Press Invite

The story begins with bride-to-be Ruby (Dejuan Desiree) and her fiancé Jamie (Joshua Aketse-Entsie) playfully debating their wedding playlist. All seems lighthearted and joyful as the big day approaches, but as the story progresses, deeper struggles surface, and the tone shifts dramatically. Make Me Feel explores the difficulty of asking for help in a society that doesn’t always listen, tackling serious social issues such as anxiety, depression, suicide, homelessness, and the struggles of motherhood.

The minimal stage with a centred metal-framed house and audience on all sides was effectively used throughout the play. The ‘Love-Actually’ style storytelling, with overlapping narratives and loosely connected characters, was initially engaging, but the constant shifts in scene and focus sometimes felt overwhelming. This, alongside the rapid pace, made it harder to fully connect with certain characters before the story moved on.

Transitions between scenes were marked by darker lighting and sudden music cues, clearly signalling each shift. A standout moment was the inventive use of lighting to spotlight the girls at opposite corners of the stage, representing an online group chat discussing hen do plans (and the don’ts). It was genuinely funny, especially when direct messages meant for private chats were accidentally sent to the whole group. The contrast with the boys’ brief, simplistic group chat that followed added to the humour and kept the scene feeling fresh and contemporary.

From this scene, Maria (Natalia Choudhary) stood out to me, even though she wasn’t as present earlier in the play. Her innocence and blissful unawareness of how others viewed her mannerisms made her both likeable and funny. Another standout was Viv (Tabitha Ogilvie), who was hilarious in her roles as a speed awareness course leader and later as a wedding officiant. Her dry, sassy humour had the audience laughing and hanging on her every word. You didn’t want her scenes to end.

It was encouraging to see the 18–25 Bush Young Company aim to tackle so many important social issues. However, quite a few scenes felt unfocused, and several storylines were left unresolved. It felt like the focus was on giving each cast member equal stage time, rather than using that time to develop their characters in a more impactful way. Without an interval, the 105-minute runtime began to drag, and at times the plot lost focus. While the play didn’t fully resonate with me, several cast members made the most of their material and delivered strong, committed performances.

Content warnings: Strobe Lights, Mentions of Suicide, Strong Language.

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Photo Credit: Harry Elletson