Review: The Girl Who Fell, Baby Reindeer, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg

It’s been a busy week for theatre, so there are a lot of reviews coming your way. It started with Ages of the Moon on Thursday evening, which I’ve already had the chance to review. Luckily, it got better from there. On Saturday, I had a theatrical double-header, taking in not one, but two plays – a matinee performance of The Girl Who Fell at Trafalgar Studios and Baby Reindeer at Bush Theatre.

I’ve seen exactly two plays at Trafalgar Studios prior to this, and both were amazing beyond belief – Enda Walsh’s Disco Pigs in 2017 and Arinzé Kene’s Misty in 2018. They were so good, in fact, that I’ve been on a search for the “next great thing” ever since. And, well, neither play I saw on Saturday disappointed.

The premise of The Girl Who Fell didn’t sound particularly enticing – “is Snapchat to blame for a teenage girl’s suicide?” – but the reality was that the show explored themes of guilt, responsibility, and forgiveness that went far beyond the superficial. Impeccably acted, incredibly compelling, I was hooked from the first scene to the last. My only criticism would be the slightly cheesy ending, though, admittedly, I don’t see much of an alternative. It could’ve taken a much darker turn, but the conclusion was sufficiently convincing.

Baby Reindeer was a one-man show by comedian Richard Gadd. He shared his harrowing experiences of being stalked, but added nuance by sharing his inner turmoil – especially in light of a prior sexual assault and coming to terms with his sexuality. It was often difficult to watch, because it wasn’t clear whether you’re meant to laugh, cry, or empathise – which was the point, more or less. People are multidimensional characters; life isn’t black and white. This comes across brilliantly, which is most likely why the play has received the critical reception it has.

I was so impressed with the two performances on Saturday that I basically decided that I’d hacked the system and that all I had to do was keep showing up to the same theatres, so I obviously bought tickets to the other play running at Trafalgar Studios (and Bush Theatre, but that’s in December) – A Day in the Death of Joe Egg. I didn’t know much about the work, but the idea is that a couple takes care of their severely disabled daughter, their marriage is tested, etc.

Our seats were almost on the stage itself, so it was a bit…close. We saw a lot of spit flying out of the lead actor’s mouth. Incidentally, I found out that he is the son of Professor McGonagall – er, Dame Maggie Smith, that is. We also caught Hugh Dennis in the audience, who was there to see his partner as the female lead. He agreed to a photo, but did slightly shame us by pointing out that it’s not his play. Point is, the play had a very strong cast. Speaking of which, it was the first time that this play, which was written in 1967, featured a disabled actor playing the role of the disabled daughter. We were lucky enough to catch a QnA with the actress, Stormie Toolis, after the show.

Stormie had very interesting thoughts on the visibility of disabled characters, pointing out that we shouldn’t cast disabled actors only when their disability is part of the plot – rather, true representation can only be achieved when we cast disabled actors in standard parts, such as the cashier or barista or office worker. She also spoke at length about something I was thinking about when watching the play – the mental challenge of playing such a passive role. I was also a little surprised that her name didn’t make it to the credits, which I guess highlights that this is an ongoing issue.

Anyhow, it’s possibly the first time that I’ve reviewed pieces that are still running: The Girl Who Fell, admittedly, ends today, but Baby Reindeer is running until November 9, and A Day in the Death of Joe Egg until November 30.