A vibrant and heartfelt one-woman show that provides a fresh, contemporary take on grief, healing and identity in your 30s. Rating
Excellent
If Bridget Jones swapped diary entries and granny panties for slightly culty spin classes and a matching Lululemon set, you’d have Lolly: the chaotic yet deeply relatable protagonist of Jamie-Lee Money’s Spin Cycles. Underneath the flashing lights of the Notting Hill spin studio (or a work do gone horribly wrong), the one woman show explores the reality of supporting a family member with a serious illness alongside navigating your own life as a 30-something year old in London. Despite the seriousness of the topic, the play, skilfully directed by Larica Schnell, is absurdly comical, transforming personal grief into something universally familiar—making Lolly’s journey a touching one.
Money’s performance is undeniably impressive. A 70-minute, one woman show is no small feat, and Money does this with confidence, precision and versatility, immersing us in the messy, deeply human world of Lolly in London, the clear sense of location adding a layer of authenticity to her voice. Money’s vivacious transformations to different characters keeps Spin Cycles dynamic, the variety of personas she takes on being some that many of us will recognise in our own lives (Joel the Intern, I’m looking at you…).
Money’s performance does lean into over-exaggeration at times, which occasionally dilutes the relatability and emotional resonance of the piece. The script itself contributes to this, too. Whilst beautifully written, the monologues are quite lyrical, resembling passages of a novel rather than spoken streams-of-consciousness that would feel more human and provide the heavier moments with room to breathe. This is the case with certain topics that the script explores. There are sporadic moments where Lolly’s friends’ deaths are mentioned, or her grandfather’s. The central strand of Spin Cycles, about her mother’s cancer diagnosis, is powerful enough to stand alone, without the need to potentially overstuff the script with more plot. Finally, some of the humour leans heavily on millennial, internet vernacular, which, whilst fitting with Lolly’s age, feels a touch dated. Stripping this back could help the jokes land better, getting more laughs universally.
Despite these small shortcomings, Spin Cycles’ narrative structure is thoughtfully constructed and clever, weaving together poignant themes with a story and character arc that you can’t help but feel invested in. The spin class serves as a metaphor and grounding point for the play, a striking, unique choice that instantly makes Spin Cycles stand out from more conventional depictions of navigating trauma on stage. Long after the lights come up, you’re left thinking about Lolly’s story…and wondering if maybe you should sign up to a spin class yourself.
Writer/Performer: Jamie-Lee Money
Director: Larica Schnell
Lighting Design by: Lily Dawford
Stage Management by: Roshan Conn
Spin Cycles plays at Camden People’s Theatre until Saturday 7 February.
