Review: Bubbly, Camden’s People Theatre

Looking into the mirror and disliking what you see is a familiar experience for many; looking into a mirror and only seeing flaws, overwhelming to the point of seeing nothing else, of not even seeing yourself, is a different experience. That is body dysmorphia, and it is the central issue plaguing Functional Delusion Theatre Company‘s Bubbly.

The story follows Hannah (Emily Hespe), a young adult dealing with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), as she gets ready for and attends a family dinner with her misguided yet well-meaning mother (Gemma Goggin). Alongside her at all times are Holly (Rebecca D’Lacey) and Hailey (Georgie Lagden), two friends whose intentions aren’t always clear. There is a responsibility thrust upon the creative team when choosing to deal with a mental health condition such as BDD. Rachel Moriarty’s book and Mark Nathan and Carolyn Holt’s lyrics take this responsibility in stride. They manage to convey the story at a good pace, engaging the audience from the beginning with the song ‘Which Me Will I Be Today?’ and building up from there. It treats its subject matter with respect and accuracy, and also manages to infuse comedic elements that amuse the audience without taking away from the seriousness of the matter. It’s a wonderful balance between story, themes, and comedy.

Leo Humphries’ music is, at this stage in the production, intimate, effective, and quite beautiful. All the songs serve a precise purpose, helping build the story rather than pausing it. It is presented solely by a piano and a violin, directed by Paul McKenzie, which makes the tracks feel intimate and simple. It does not contain the most memorable songs, but there is an understanding of mood and rhythm that matches the story perfectly. As this project grows, and its orchestra with it, I hope it maintains that feeling of closeness to the story created by the tracks.

The show as it stands right now, however, is not without issues. As it currently stands, it seems to move on too quickly from revelation to revelation, leaving the audience no time to process the information given. It happens in the dinner scene, as both Lagden’s and D’Lacey’s songs reveal major information about Hannah’s past struggles and harms, both songs dealing with separate topics, yet they are placed one after the other with very little time to process either revelation or dive any deeper into them. Similarly, during the song in which Lagden’s Hailey and D’Lacey’s Holly’s true natures are revealed, the information is presented extremely quickly and the song moves on to the next topic. There seems to be very little weight to the individual revelations due to the speed at which they come and go.

The cast is made up of a fantastic quartet of women. Hespe’s Hannah is the protagonist and star of the show, nailing the different aspects of the BDD experience and the beginning of the healing journey in a heart-wrenching manner. D’Lacey’s Holly and Lagden’s Hailey start off very simple, but increasingly add tension and weight to their characters as the show goes on. Their songs towards the end of the show are pivotal moments they master. Goggin’s fantastic performance goes from a misguided and judgemental mum to a compassionate and understanding one without compromising the likeability and relatability of the character.

The creative team has already nailed the balance between the heavy subject matter, the music, and the comedy, which is the greatest foundation a project can have. As it currently stands, Bubbly is a work in progress with an excellent starting point and a bright future ahead.

Book by Rachel Moriarty
Lyrics by Mark Nathan and Carolyn Holt
Music by Leo Humphries
Directed by Em Sparkes
Musical Director: Paul McKenzie
Assistant Director: Mia Grant
Produced by Functional Delusion Theatre Company

Bubbly has finished its run at the Camden’s People Theatre