A brief, entertaining window into the ageing mind of a destructive ex-punk

Written by Maygan Forbes, Cherry is a one woman monologue about a destructive ageing former punk, as she reflects on her life. 

Cherry’s first action on stage is taking a swig of a can of Foster’s, and kicking it away. This sets the tone for the character whose mind we’re entering. Cherry is, for the most part, not a pleasant person. This is a brand she attaches to herself and wears as a badge of honour. Proud of bad behaviour that ranges from gate crashing gigs, to compulsive infidelity. 

In the short 40 minute show, Cherry talks us through her local neighbourhood, romantic partners, and challenging relationships with her family. The guiding force for the monologue is music. Music plays overhead as though reverberating in Cherry’s mind, guiding us between cherished or challenging memories. 

The issue with Cherry, as a piece of theatre, comes from the question of which lens you look at it through. Billed as a comedy, the genuine laughs are relatively sparse. Most of the humour revolves around a bad thing Cherry did, or a quirky take Cherry has about herself. Often mildly amusing, but rarely truly funny. You’re cringing at her rather than laughing with her. 

If you look at it through a dramatic angle, Cherry is the insight into a deeply troubled, self destructive individual. At first this feels quite shallow, but as time goes on it becomes increasingly engaging. Cherry’s life was, at times, tragic. This feeling compounds as the play goes on and Cherry’s perception of herself becomes increasingly unclear – you’re compelled as she unravels and she peels back the layers. 

The climatic finale to Cherry is superb and overall the show does stick its landing well – without wanting to reveal any finer elements to the plot, the whole show is wrapped up smartly. Cherry is short and sweet, but by the end you’ll find it executes itself well.