“Fleabag meets Jekyll and Hyde in this biting dark comedy”
Honor Santa Barnes is a revelation in this one woman show. Florence follows a nameless woman and her invented alias of a high society persona in order to succeed in the art world. As the show progresses the line between our protagonist and her persona blurs, asking questions about the cost of pretending to be someone else. The show is philosophical and dark, but most importantly, funny.
Honor Santa Barnes and Eleanor Blackwood’s script is equal parts class based satire and poignant reflection on mental illness. Their protagonist is not simply one dimensional, she is cruel and funny and judgemental and insecure all at once. The intimacy between performer and audience is incredibly effective, the show acting as a conversation. They are able to avoid typical pitfalls of one person plays largely through the frequent humour. The concept of pretending to be someone else has been played for drama (e.g in The Talented Mr Ripley) and laughs (e.g in Anything Goes) and whilst this is a distinctly dramatic show, I admire the fact that it stays very personal, and therefore plausible, there are no murders, no mobs, no secret weddings, just a woman who hates herself. Keeping the stakes relatively low is exactly what this genre needs to feel grounded and real. I wish we’d seen her contradict herself more, calling into question the narrative she’s presenting, the reference to her 5 bedroom childhood home was brilliant and I wish we’d had one or two more references like that. However, at a tight 55 minutes, the show is a near perfect one person show.
A one person show lives and dies on the strength of its leading actor, and Honor Santa Barnes does not disappoint. The show makes full use of her range, showcasing every accent from RP to Glasweigan to Australian. The show simply wouldn’t work without her charisma and athleticism. Her performance is equally manic and measured, and it truly is an artistic tour de force and the show seems designed to show off her range. Her commitment to the performance is remnicient of Jodie Comer in Prima Facie. She is utterly charming, and the audience roots for her even when she is doing objectively terrible things.
It would be criminal not to mention the efficacy of the design for the show. Ed Saunders’ creative use of LEDs coupled with Sarah Spencer’s synth music and Ellie Wintour’s minimalist set work together absolutely beautifully. The design elements transport the audience everywhere from a nightclub to a gallery space to an upper class party. The script perhaps hits less hard than it could in the wake of recent films like Saltburn, but it is still an incredibly strong show. I have no doubt that this show will have further life at a Fringe and when it does, you absolutely should go see it.