“A bold theatrical triumph that blends dark comedy, raw emotion and striking innovation.”
Dear Annie, I Hate You is a raw, funny, and deeply moving exploration of the chaos that follows when life veers off course. Sam Ipema delivers a blisteringly honest and fiercely entertaining performance that balances personal trauma, pitch black humour and moments of disarming tenderness. What begins as the story of a football loving tomboy takes a sudden and violent turn when a freak accident on the pitch introduces a new and unwelcome presence in Sam’s life: Annie, the aneurysm.
Sam’s world is turned upside down by the constant threat of Annie, a volatile and unpredictable force that throws her plans, her sense of freedom and her identity into chaos. Through inventive use of multimedia and sharp, personal storytelling, the play explores what happens when life takes an unexpected turn and how we struggle to maintain control when everything is falling apart.
The staging is visually captivating. Old television sets show flickering home videos and messages from Sam’s family and friends, while glowing neon tubes stretch across the space, giving everything a jittery, charged atmosphere. Ipema’s narration is casual and emotionally rich, blending humour with science and turning complex ideas about the brain into accessible, engaging moments of insight.
Sam grows up surrounded by loving but emotionally reserved parents and a brother with Down Syndrome who teaches her both gentleness and the painful lessons of social exclusion. The show finds its strength in moments like these, combining specific memories with universal truths. It educates as it entertains, showing how the brain reacts to physical and emotional threats, and how trauma reshapes our relationship with ourselves.
Then comes Annie. Played with wild energy by Eleanor House, she storms the stage as the personified aneurysm, dressed in chaotic costumes and delivering biting, theatrical monologues. Despite performing with a broken wrist, House is unstoppable. Her version of Annie is intrusive, flamboyant and unnerving, representing every dark impulse and coping mechanism Sam develops in the wake of her diagnosis.
The chemistry between Ipema and House is magnetic. Their interactions feel like a battle for control, filled with sharp humour and devastating honesty. As Sam faces the reality of living with a life threatening condition, she spirals into self destructive choices and emotional withdrawal. The television screens begin to echo society’s fascination with her illness, while her parents’ attempts to help fade into static.
Director James Meteyard handles this shifting world with care and clarity, guiding the play through its surreal moments and emotional intensity without ever losing its emotional core. A particularly powerful sequence after the operation, enhanced by Hugo Dodsworth’s lighting, jolts the audience with fear and vulnerability. And just when it seems like hope has disappeared, Ipema delivers a final speech that is quiet, reflective and beautifully moving.
Dear Annie I Hate You is a bold and original piece of theatre. It is funny, raw and emotionally intelligent. Sam Ipema’s voice is a vital one, telling a story that is both deeply personal and widely relatable. This is a show that will make you laugh, make you think and stay with you long after the lights go down. Dear Annie I Hate You plays until 1st June and tickets are available here.