Review: Professional, Old Red Lion Theatre

Professional is a one-woman show, written and performed by Kate Pemberton. It explores a range of situations familiar to anyone with experience of being in and out of employment.  Pemberton is energetic and engaging, drawing the audience in as she ranges from funny to insightful to poignant.

Pemberton describes the show as a work in progress, wisely keeping it to a tight 50 minutes to maintain the energy and pace, moving between different segments so that they don’t feel unnaturally stretched out.  An important aspect of a one-person show is the rapport the performer builds with the audience, and it doesn’t take long for Pemberton to achieve this. She is immediately charismatic, putting the audience at ease with an entertaining start, enacting a selection of childhood career aspirations with a variety of accents.  She later engages the audience with some direct questions and encourages us to cheer or boo to enhance one discussion.

In the style of a variety show, Pemberton uses diverse styles of presentation to convey the different situations discussed. All are creative, and none are as simple as just talking at the audience. We witness a reflection on the daily commute calls for a humorous reenactment of a shaky tube ride and race around the stage. She contemplates from behind her laptop the meaningless titles encountered in the job-hunting process which don’t remotely clarify what the job entails, while a relatable scenario in which a dull day leads to random mental tangents segues into a surreal song and dance number. These sections are well timed and very engaging. A seemingly throwaway line about the joy of coming into a warm office from a cold commute veers off into a fantasy story which starts to drag on slightly before we go back into the main train of thought. Not all segments revolve around humour – there are quieter moments where she poignantly reflects on how people can accept jobs they lack enthusiasm for, or how the simplest actions can brighten up someone’s day and we should take pride in making such a difference.

There are a small number of props used which support the action, alongside the music and lighting.  A desk, chair and laptop act as the expected background elements of job searching.  However, a clothes rail full of colourful blazers is creatively used, also serving as the tube handrail and as a curtain for Pemberton to enthusiastically burst out of as she dives into a new scenario. It also frames a thoughtful discussion on how our outfit can impact how we are perceived in interviews and the office – a nice safe colour is best, says Pemberton. The all-black outfit she wears by default means that when she tries on more interesting hues they really pop, warning us that the bright red one will transform her into a ‘corporate beast’. This leads to the highlight of the show, as she takes on the persona of Jill, an overly enthusiastic motivational speaker delightedly telling us all about how our jobs are at risk. This extended section is hilarious, and more frequent use of newly invented personas would absolutely enhance the show and help bring other segments to life.

For a work in progress, this can be considered a highly successful proof of concept; the content is entertaining, engaging and confidently delivered. There are no end of other working world scenarios which could be told in future. By my count, there were two blazers left unused on the rail – who knows what interesting personas Pemberton can invent to fill them out?

Written and performed by: Kate Pemberton

Professional has completed its current run at Old Red Lion Theatre
as part of FreshFest Festival.