Review: Tell me you’ll think about it, Hen and Chickens Theatre

Starting the show with a theatre reviewer struggling to write her review couldn’t be more relevant. This review is by far one of the most difficult I’ve had to write, but let’s see how we do. I’m afraid it was coloured by being kettled in the bar for twenty minutes post start time. No explanation was given while everyone scrambled to find a seat for an apparently overbooked performance. Given this difficult start, we were then subjected to a very loud rant by Lyndsey Ruiz about the play she was supposed to be reviewing, her boyfriend’s (Boyan Petrov) lack of knowledge around ancient Greek comedies, and, it would appear, life in general.

And so, it continues; a circular push and pull of saying “I love you” to almost, but not quite, saying “I hate you”, how they met, why they got together, and the cruncher of why maybe they shouldn’t be together. Underneath all the angst and rage is a woman who finds herself in a relationship that was once comfortable and convenient but that she has outgrown. She wants to write but can’t get past four pages; he wants to support her to follow her dream without initially realizing her dream does not include him. At no point do you think it will end well, which is why the denouement felt a little redundant and was unfortunately clinically inaccurate. It also confused the audience, who assumed the play had finished, only to find the actors back on apparently three months later.  

If this was Lyndsey’s story, then she has obviously found her writing voice; given the reactions of some of the audience members in a similar demographic to her, it felt as if it was a representation of themes they recognised. The depiction of the emotion between the characters was tangible and believably delivered. Both actors drew you into their worlds and provoked a sympathy of sorts. How many couples have we all seen who tear each other apart like this, but don’t do anything about it; hanging on to a glimmer of hope. 

The direction was well thought out, and the actors moved around the stage seamlessly and with purpose. Any set design at the Hen and Chickens has to be minimal, given the size of the stage, and this set worked well; nothing was there that didn’t need to be and the actors utilized every inch of it. The sound effects worked well, even when they were used to facilitate a costume change. 

So why was it difficult to review?  The dialogue was delivered with such emotion it was difficult to separate the content of the play from what might be Lyndsey’s life; and who am I to review that?

Written by: Lyndsey Ruiz
Directed by: Sarah Majland

Tell Me You’ll Thank About It plays at Hen and Chickens Theatre until Saturday 15 March.