Review: Do You Know Where To Go From Here?, The Space

Sophie (Stephanie Renae Lau), a Hong Kong native, grapples with figuring out her identity, faith (in both God and herself), and path in life, whilst navigating the grief of her mother’s death 10 years prior. Sophie’s story chronicles her early twenties living under an oppressive regime in a country divided amid protest and unrest, to her present-day life in London as an actor with a handful of side hustles, dealing with the ups and downs of moving to a new country. The tone is extremely honest (and very meta) from the outset. It is all executed adeptly by Renae Lau. 

The Space is quite a roomy venue, and Renae Lau fills it with her larger-than-life performance and undeniable charm and wit. Immediately upon entering, it felt like being in a little world of Renae Lau’s own making, intensifying as the show unfolds (and as she overcame the nerves that were present in the first 5-10 minutes). Various items of clothing, pages of writing revealed to be prayers, and a telephone. This is not just any telephone, but a hotline straight to God, with an auto attendant voiceover, from Anna McManus, listing the extensions to various deities – earning some fantastic reactions from Renae Lau. The lines are suspended above the audience and a mountainous pile of clothes, which are not only her mother’s but Sophie’s emotional baggage, too.  

As the title suggests, this show is full of questions; some small, others meatier and more philosophical. Most are left unanswered, as is the way when faced with the tumultuous nature of early adulthood. One thing is for certain, though: the show packs a punch, providing much food for thought. An aspect that could be made less of is Sophie’s conclusion that the show isn’t finished and she needs our help. There wasn’t enough audience participation to justify this. Maybe Sophie is just unsure of herself because it feels like she doesn’t need us; she only thinks she does.

Inventive directorial choices from Myriam Angela were a highlight, as was YY Yong’s dynamic movement direction. From the clever utilisation of clothes from the pile, in place of various props throughout, such as a jumper, smoothly fashioned into the handlebars of a bike) and the overall intimate nature of the piece to the largely consistent pacing. This falls off track only when we jump back and forth between present and past around halfway through.  Everything feels cohesive with the vision and is cleverly constructed to serve this. 

The show reaches a peak once it swerves into absurd territory, though the powerful protest scenes in her native Hong Kong, with tense, climactic sound design from Victoria Rose Ríos deserve praise. Sophie experiences an anxiety attack on the tube involving the Jurassic Park theme tune, a surprise moment of audience participation, and some hilarious physical comedy; a skill honed by Renae Lau’s extensive clowning experience. She plays to her strengths wonderfully throughout the 80-minute run time. 

Although Renae Lau is a natural at comedy, the piece is also very moving. In a scene involving a voicemail to her late mother, a teary-eyed Sophie asks questions that will never be answered, later pointing out a seat in the audience that is saved for her mother. 

I implore Renae Lau to keep exploring and get this onto the fringe festival circuit (it would go down extremely well at Camden and Edinburgh, particularly). There are many people who would benefit from seeing this, and the team working on this show has brilliant ideas that align well with Renae Lau’s star quality, strong written voice, and storytelling abilities. 

Writer & Performer: Stephanie Renae Lau 
Director: Myriam Angela
Movement Director: YY Yong
Lighting Designer: Hannah Clancy
Sound Designer: Victoria Rose Ríos 
Dramaturg: Yaël Shavit
Clown Devising Collaborator: Peta Lily

Do You Know Where To Go From Here? place at The Space until Saturday April 4