Hourglass | Bread and Roses Theatre

Hourglass marks the professional writing debut of Alice Mayer, creating a one woman show that both horrifies and entertains. Mayer, a talented performer, uses the 50-minute runtime to great effect, as she has the audience on the edge of their seats as the sinister undertones shine through the otherwise humour of a particularly terrible dating history.

The show follows Charlie (Mayer) as she recounts her past relationships from her first boyfriend Joe, when they were both six years old, to present day, and how all but Joe had, one way or the other, died in various accidents right after the break up. Charlie, believing herself to be cursed and responsible for each of her exes deaths, decides to disclose this in a therapy session (a 50 minute session which is a particularly clever choice that works well). However, Charlie catches both the therapist and the audience off guard in a sickening twist when she reveals her most recent ex and what happened to him.

Mayer's writing boasts of being both hilariously relatable as she recounts the awkwardness of dating, but also rich and powerful as she goes into the ways she shrunk herself to meet the need of others, and the dire consequences of this. Mayer's writing is witty throughout, using clever wordplay through her ability to use the same word twice in one sentence with completely different meanings. It's a small feat, yet sets Hourglass apart, showing the amount of care that's gone into the dialogue. Mayer is deliberate with the script, gripping audiences from the get go with a drastic claim before engaging with the audience as a likeable individual whilst dialing up the tension that drops like an explosion in the final few minutes.

Mayer's show deals with sexual assault towards the latter twenty or so minutes. Mayer single handedly re-enacts the scene, whilst voicing her inner thoughts with a blunt honesty that really stands out as a highlight in the show in terms of its writing. The way Mayer continues this conversation, between herself, her partner, and the police is powerful and frustrating; but ultimately becomes the extra edge that the show needs without becoming preachy or sympathetic. It's never easy to discuss such matters, especially in a solo show, but Mayer has struck gold with her writing.

Mayer's performance is wonderful, as she too manages to switch between a slightly eerie spider-like woman, to a warm and bubbly woman; but it's her moments where she's consumed wholly by her emotions that make her so mesmerising. Mayer draws upon all the anger and hurt to launch into a dance where she is uncontrollable, free and irresistible to look away from. Mayer's performance during the assault scene and the subsequent conversations are moving as she chokes on her own words and her sense of self under the pressure, with a performance that is slightly too believable.

Mayer is an ambitious creative with talents aplenty, evidenced by the two slightly random musical numbers in the show. Mayer has a lovely voice and showcases it well, using the songs to describe the gory details and stress when one of her exes die in her presence. However, as lovely as Mayer's voice is and her additional talent as a songwriter (having trained as a musical theatre writer at BML), these songs don't quite fit in naturally with the show and threaten to undermine the rest of the show, especially as they're in quick succession and the rest of the show is a straight play. Amusingly, Mayer puts on yet another theatrical cap, as co-producer (alongside lead producer Caleb Lee, who ensures that all audience members are gifted with a themed sweet and a sticker; an impressive touch for a short term fringe show).

Lighting designer and technical operator Celine Effendi elevates the show further by ensuring that Mayer never feels alone on stage with an array of sounds that help fill the intimate space. Additionally, all the other characters are portrayed by voice overs (Jamie Withers as Joe, Megan-Hollie Robinson as Emma, Josh Vaastra as Dylan, Dominic Varney as Simon and Katherine Alpen as the therapist), which also ensures that the story never feels incomplete or one-sided. Effendi's lighting, in particular, is admirable, as the slow red hue takes over Charlie as her emotions rise; but is most well used during the dance scenes with the flashing lights that feel both dazzling and dangerous.

Hourglass premieres as part of the Grimfest, a theatre festival that celebrates darker and spookier stories; one that feels fitting for this show. However, whether it's the actions themselves or merely the consequences that are most horrific is an interesting approach and larger conversation that Mayer instills in her show. A strong script and an even stronger performance; Hour Glass promises to be a wicked evening at the theatre. 

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Diana Kenyeres