Overview
A sign at the door advises theatre-goers to take some water in because it can get hot in there, and not just because of the nudity. True to their word, Everything She Ever Said to Me is an emotionally-charged and confrontational piece of theatre about the truths which lie behind what we say and what we do.
Our protagonist Jo, played by Kayleigh Haworth, is 20 something and at a cross-roads in life; not really sure where she’s headed. We meet her post breakdown, having returned to her mundane job as a call centre salesperson for a company that sells mobility equipment. She pretends she's fine now, but she's clearly not. Her mother (Jen Wolfe) calls incessantly to check everything's alright and her workmate Adam (Jordan Blaikie) presses her to explain the extended absence from work. No wonder she's feeling overwhelmed and it's not surprising she goes out of her way to befriend the elderly Mr Andrews (Kerr Inkson), someone who doesn't have any expectations of her.
I’d have to agree with nzherald writer Janet McAllister who, after seeing Kayleigh Haworth perform in Young & Hungry's Tigerplay last year, declared her “one to watch”. Haworth is utterly convincing as an insecure, confused and anxiety-ridden young woman. The cheerful front she puts on to cover her true nature, her shrill laugh, her fidgety hands - are all bang on. Adam is also very believable and his nervousness around Jo provides opportunities for lots of laughs. A date scene has the audience in stitches as both actors scull their wine and fumble through small talk in an effort to keep calm and impress the other.
Jo's "I'm fine" routine really begins to unravel however after some inapproriate sex and a bit of crockery theft. But it's the Sunday roast at Sarah's house where the play culminates in a crossfire of accusations and confessions. Everything is quite literally laid on the table. Whether the characters will learn from this burst of honesty is unsure but at least now there's hope.
While the idea of feeling lost in your 20s is nothing new, standout performances by Kayleigh Haworth, Jordan Blaikie and later in the piece Lisa Sorenson, do justice to Keziah Warner's geniune and touching script. It's great to see the new collective SCRATCH New Writing addressing such taboo issues as mental health in such a thought-provoking way.