Balancing vulnerability and comedy, Emotionally Undercooked offers audiences a truthful insight into finding love both in and out of dating. Rating
Good
“That’s the sweet spot, isn’t it? Being weird enough to work,” says Lisa Sa, the protagonist and performer of Emotionally Undercooked, an autobiographical solo show. Through Sa’s engaging storytelling, this “sweet spot” is achieved: a tale about sitting on birthday cake, toddlers who like crabs, and a variety of sitcom-inspired T-shirts working together to tell a much deeper story about the complexities of relationships in modern dating.
In a world of constantly changing dating buzzwords, it can become difficult to keep up, but I find Sa’s take on dating the opposite – digestible and easy to relate to. She takes her audience on a journey through struggle and success with various characters, all of whom have a distinctive identity thanks to Sa’s skillful use of different accents and physicalities.
She has a good awareness of the other characters even when she is not playing them, and, though she stands alone, her reactions make it clear what other characters are doing. One standout moment of comedy sees Sa jump between two characters dancing together in a club. Another sees her comparing conversations with a guy to toddlers talking about crabs, complimented by a hilarious crab hat. It is in these bizarre situations where the comedy is best.
Most notably, Sa introduces us to Dylan, a grumpy yet endearing acting mentor. Sa’s characterisation of Dylan is humorous and compliments her protagonist well. She makes strong vocal and physical choices that make it clear when he is onstage despite there being no item of costume to differentiate him. At times, clarity wavers, specifically when there is just a change between two characters’ voices rather than a complete transformation. However, these purely vocal shifts do break up the sometimes repetitive back and forth that the one-woman format lends itself to.
The play’s biggest strength comes in the direct address to the audience. Between scenes featuring multiple characters are moments where the audience is let into Sa’s thoughts and feelings. These moments have humour but are also vulnerable, and Sa’s performance is most grounded and truthful when speaking to the audience directly. It almost feels like a conversation between friends, and this invests us more in her journey, not just through relationships, but also her path to personal developmet. We see her go from asking herself ‘What are boundaries?’, to articulating clearly that she is looking for a partner, not something casual.
The element of naturalism is enhanced by the use of space. The set is simple – a chest to sit on that also houses the many costume changes – and this is very effective. It allows the audience to focus on Sa’s story, and gives her freedom to move and pace as one may do when in vulnerable conversation with friends. Sometimes the pacing becomes distracting, but overall Sa makes good use of the space’s width to bring the entire audience into her world.
The production, being autobiographical, is self-aware and highlights its creation throughout. Mentions of creating a one-woman show draw laughs from the audience, as do scenes featuring improv classes, considering the performance venue (Hoopla Impro at The Miller) is the improv club where the play found its start. The whole piece is a celebration of spaces such as this one that encourage creation, and, aside from finding love in a romantic sense, the story also highlights the love Sa has found for performance.
Vulnerable and comedic, Lisa Sa’s Emotionally Undercooked finds the “sweet spot” between eccentric situations and truthful storytelling, making this solo show a relatable venture into the highs and lows of modern dating.
Created and performed by Lisa Sa
Directed by Valentina Rosati
Assistant director and Stage Manager: Jay Yu-chieh Chiu
Emotionally Undercooked has completed its run at Hoopla Impro, but has plans to take the show to different venues around the UK.
