Review: No Good Drunk, Greenwich Theatre

Performing is exposing. Curtains open, lights up, all eyes on you. I wonder sometimes about the kinds of people that are attracted to performing – thrill-seekers, or maybe masochists? Perhaps some have found the perfect beta-blocker that means they can just take it all in their stride. Going further, I think you must be a little bit mad to write and perform something entirely autobiographical, to show every little piece of yourself. Being so utterly revealing would crumble me into little pieces. But, tonight, here comes cool-as-a-cucumber American writer and performer Stacie Burrows, with her heart on show for all to see. I must know her secret.

After three and a half weeks at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, Burrows’ solo musical drama No Good Drunk has come to London. In the Greenwich Theatre’s smaller studio, she presents true stories from her own family. As the title implies, it focuses on the victims of alcoholism – that is, the alcoholics themselves, as well as the people around them. She has assembled a neat multi-media showcase, with spoken word, song (co-written alongside Sam Hall), video and other visuals packaged together. It’s something like a very refined and heartfelt version of getting out the old photos and home videos at a family gathering.

Burrows uses a Mark Twain quote to situate us from the get-go: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes”. As she goes through the generations of her family story, told in the context of a long road-trip, this quote resonates. The tragedy of the impact of alcoholism on her grandparents, parents, siblings and children is balanced beautifully by her wit and charm. Using her confident voice as both writer and performer, she does good service to her family members and others in being able to speak openly about the difficult subjects of alcoholism and abuse.

Given that No Good Drunk is material that is authentically hers, it’s not such a surprise that Burrows is a naturally warm presence on the stage. With a captivating Texan allure, she makes for a friendly storyteller. She stands confidently solo with just a couple of props, a mic and her Stetson. Her singing voice is comforting and soft with a country twang, so it is a shame that, overall, the songs feel held back. The backing tracks are quiet, and Burrows asked more than once for the volume to come up mid-performance. While it did improve, I felt her voice was always lacking some support that would have helped.

Setting aside some tech that might need a fiddle, Burrows has created something touching, funny and authentic. Her charming presence takes the audience right alongside her on a meaningful journey of genuine emotion and catchy songs. The small studio at Greenwich Theatre was a nice intimate setting for the evening, as No Good Drunk naturally pulls us gently along for the ride.

Written, composed and produced by Stacie Burrows
Directed and co-devised by Katierose Donohue Enriquez
Musical direction and songs by Sam Small

No Good Drunk has now finished its run at Greenwich Theatre.