A sleek one-woman show not to be missed

Nestled beneath a charming pub in West London, Barons Court Theatre is an intimate space, boasting a traverse-style stage and potentially the comfiest seats of any Off West End venue around. With minimalistic staging, the audience is faced with four chairs and a stool, with a couple of props strewn around for good measure. 

And so begins Not In The Mood For Quiche Anymore, a highly engaging one-woman show written by Victoria Buse. Following a particularly tumultuous period in the life of teacher and serial single lady Becks, this play explores how loneliness can manifest and transform a person without them ever even realising. 

Becks falls head over heels for a man who turns out to be rather decorated criminal, but she doesn’t let that stop her from pursuing the guy who has dubbed her ‘wife material’. More and more extreme acts of desperation ensue as Becks struggles to keep afloat in the mess she’s made. 

Every one-woman show in recent years is doomed to be compared to the smash-hit Fleabag, regardless of content or actual similarities. However in this case, the main character Becks has definite Fleabag-esque qualities. Played beautifully by Laura Matthews, Becks is a deeply flawed protagonist who constantly toes the line between endearing and thoroughly unlikeable.

Becks victim blames a rape survivor, tries to have sex with one of her former students and constantly brushes off her friends and commitments for a man. But she also cares deeply for those she loves, wants to see the best in people and is facing loneliness head-on. It’s impossible not to see yourself or your friends reflected in Becks, making it hard to cast her off as just a terrible person. Buse does an exceptional job of creating a flawed but likeable leading lady, who carries the engaging narrative through a more and more unfortunate series of events. 

Direction by Michael Gyngell is similarly strong, as Matthews lights up every corner of the small space, keeping the stage alive. Despite the risks of a 60-minute monologue, Gyngell’s direction keeps the pace high, effectively bringing the story to all three seating banks.

However, the real star of this show is Matthews. Masterful in her characterisation of Becks, she has expertly crafted a person we all recognise and find impossible to judge too harshly. She is perfectly natural in her mannerisms, moving seamlessly from family gatherings to prison visitations to car rides and post coital disappointments. Effectively transforming time and space, Matthews easily guides the audience through this story and it’s hard to imagine anyone doing it better. 

The play does ramble somewhat, needing a little more structure and some pruning to really hone the focus. Some loose plot lines are left floating, with an anti-climactic ending leaving the script just a little lacking. But with some further tightening, Buse could really have her hands on a winner. Next stop Edinburgh Fringe… and then perhaps the BBC?