Review: I Think I Hate Actors, Canada Water Theatre

Roo Sutcliffe is standing at a curious crossroads. For most of her life she’s longed for the spotlight, convinced that acting is her true vocation. The snag? To be an actor, one must work with actors – and Sutcliffe is increasingly convinced she may, in fact, despise them. It’s a delicious contradiction, and one she mines with gusto in I Think I Hate Actors, a comedy that doubles as a confessional, a character showcase and a lightly disguised form of therapy (albeit the kind that should never be mistaken for the professional variety). 

The show unfolds as a guided tour through Sutcliffe’s artistic awakening, shaped partly by her upbringing (one half of which is a genuine revelation, though you’ll have to see the show to catch the reference) and partly by the colourful personalities she’s encountered on her theatrical journey. Among them is the waffling, self-aggrandising acting lecturer from the Brit School, a man so convinced that true performance requires dredging up buried trauma that Sutcliffe, blessed with a perfectly happy childhood, has to invent some just to keep him satisfied. Then there’s the perpetual scarf-wearing, pretentious lothario – a character so archetypal he feels like a rite of passage for every budding thespian.

Sutcliffe leans heavily on her talent for impressions and it’s here that much of the humour lands. Some jokes hit squarely; others wobble. Fortunately, the audience is firmly on her side, rewarding even the less polished one-liners with warm chuckles. Whether the notoriously unpredictable Edinburgh crowd the production will soon be performing to will be quite so forgiving is another matter. However, a judicious tightening of the weaker gags would only strengthen the show’s momentum.

Structurally, the piece is presented linearly but the underlying narrative thread is less defined. Sutcliffe’s enthusiasm for character work occasionally overshadows the story itself, leaving the impression that the plot exists mainly to string together a series of comic portraits. The result is an enjoyable impressionist showcase, though one that would benefit from a clearer dramatic spine to bind its elements more cohesively.

A chance encounter with a well-known British actress ultimately propels Sutcliffe towards performing at the Edinburgh Fringe, though the irony is not lost on her: the very pretentious, theatrical quirks she mocks in others are precisely the ones she recognises in herself. It’s a neat twist – the performer discovering she is, in fact, one of the creatures she claims to loathe. Perhaps writing a play really is a form of therapy after all.

I Think I Hate Actors thrives on self-deprecating humour which is always a reliable crowd-pleaser and Sutcliffe’s charm ensures the audience remains invested throughout. With further refinement – a more robust narrative arc and sharper comedic pacing – the show has the potential to evolve into a witty, intelligent piece that speaks not only to actors, but to anyone who has ever questioned the very thing they thought they loved.

Written and directed by Roo Sutcliffe

I Think I Hate Actors has completed its run at Canada Water Theatre. The show next runs at Just The Tonic at The Caves, Edinburgh Fringe, Thursday 6 to Sunday 30 August.