“It felt as though we had been locked in the bathroom along with the characters”
On Friday 26 June, just after twenty past seven, the audience settled into their seats at the fairly busy, and very warm, Hope Street Theatre. It felt as though the temperature inside matched the 28°C heatwave outside. Armed with a notebook, a pen, and a fan close to hand, it was time to prepare for the next fifty minutes, and get ready to be locked in a bathroom within the world of Tangfastic.
The show is billed as “Think Bottoms meets Superbad, but British, and on stage!”, which gives a fair indication of the style and pace the audience can expect.
The concept is simple. Two school outsiders, Edie and Frankie, find themselves stuck in a bathroom at a party alongside Veronica, the school’s most popular girl. What begins as an inconvenience soon spirals into complete chaos. Although that synopsis captures the premise, it barely hints at the number of twists and turns packed into its short run time.
The stage was dressed with little more than a door, a washing basket, a scattering of red cups and a toilet, which sat centre stage. It was a simple set, but before long it felt as though we, the audience, had been locked in there along with the characters.
Juliette Collins and Rio Star, who co-wrote and star in the play, are a brilliant double act as Frankie and Edie. Their comic timing is sharp, their energy infectious, and the chemistry between them makes their friendship feel completely believable. It is easy to imagine that the pair are as giddy off stage as they are on it. Collins commands the stage through her expressive physicality, bringing Frankie to life with an infectious sense of awkwardness and exuberance. Anna-Elise Clain also gives a strong performance as Veronica, avoiding the trap of making the popular girl feel overly one dimensional. She brings a self-assuredness that contrasts well with Frankie and Edie, using Veronica’s confidence to great comic effect.
The play is at its strongest when it leans into the claustrophobia and absurdity of its setting. At one point Frankie asks, “Does the air feel like it’s getting thicker in here, more deathly?” In the hot theatre it felt as though the audience nodded in agreement.
The script occasionally felt as though it could have been tightened, with a handful of moments lingering longer than necessary. However, the humour landed throughout, and you could sense the audience were ready to laugh at whatever came next. Produced by Grace Lister Akerman, Tangfastic is an energetic, humorous play that can only improve as it continues to develop.
Tangfastic’s run at the Hope Street Theatre has now concluded.