An energetic two-woman show about cancer which will have you laughing, crying and maybe even singing.
Sh*t Life Crisis is a two-person show which follows Grace, a cancer survivor, and her best friend Abbie, as they navigate life during and after cancer. I saw it in the Alphabetti Theatre, a small and delightful Fringe-esque venue in Newcastle. This suited it because the stage floor was only a few square metres, although I wondered if it was too intimate for the audience to feel comfortable singing along.
It was full of energy, and the two actors, Florence Odumusu and Madeleine MacMahon, gave it their all. It had light and dark, with the audience laughing, crying and singing and the soundtrack was full of iconic queer pop songs, which are perfect to sing along to. Unfortunately I think many of the audience weren’t familiar with some of the songs and so only a few really got into the karaoke aspect. It was also difficult to read the karaoke lyrics unless you were sat directly in the centre. I can imagine with a different audience or venue, there would have been many more people singing or dancing: Florence and Madeleine both had brilliant voices and were very encouraging.
I found the story very educational, and carried important messages about the necessity of being there for friends with cancer or anxiety, and how best to handle it. I learnt a lot about the side effects of chemo, and the lingering issues that cancer causes, completely apart from the trauma of almost dying. It was very obvious that the writer, Olivia Hannah, had experience of the illness and all it entails. Her writing was clever and entertaining, and for those wanting to support a loved one going through cancer, this is a very powerful and eye-opening show to watch. It also compels you to celebrate your own health and make the most of life, because it’s easy to take good health for granted.
Madeleine MacMahon was outstanding as Grace’s best friend, Abbie. She played her with such humour and energy, but also portrayed various other characters in Grace’s journey. Her range was very impressive, with each character being completely different despite no costume change. Her singing ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ with different voices for the male and female parts was a particular highlight; for a show about cancer, it was refreshingly funny.
I think this show should be seen by anyone who doesn’t know what it’s like to go through cancer. Everyone should be educated in order to support a friend going through it, because it’s likely that every one of us will come across it, and it can make the world of difference to have the right support.