16 Postcodes at Kings Head Theatre Review
Jessica Regan. Photo: Callum Baker
Written by Eloise for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Content warnings: Sexual content, strong language, and drug references.
Autobiographical play 16 Postcodes by Jessica Regan is a charming show where the audience gets to interact and determine the stories we hear over the hour long show. Regan, originally from Ireland, allows the audience to choose from a range of locations in London where she has lived over her 20 years in the city since moving for drama school.
She speaks of her obsession with postcodes, coming from growing up in rural Ireland where postcodes weren’t a thing – and feeling overwhelmed by the repetitive highstreets and suburban grey of ‘London’. Regan muses if she will ever find the true ‘London’ she envisioned when auditioning for drama school. At times a love letter, at others a tragic plea, 16 Postcodes changes show to show based on the locations the audience choose to explore.
There is a sense of connection with Jessica from the off, as she wanders through the auditorium as audience find their seats - she chats to them, asking where they’re from and how long they’ve lived in London. I immediately felt a warmth created – the audience aren’t just here to watch a play, but to experience a story told over overpriced coffee, or a bottle of beer, with an old friend you’ve not seen in twenty years. I can only assume this warmth has aided Regan in her search for a home in the city – plenty of anecdotes thanking her friends for helping her to find a home, or a job to keep her from flying back to Ireland. Creating an atmosphere as a solo performer is a difficult task – but Regan executes this effortlessly and instantly, keeping the vibe alive until the final moment where she disappears from stage.
Regan is a master storyteller and really immerses us into each of the worlds she depicts. Lighting really aided the transition between locations – keeping the house lights up in moments of interaction and dimming them as if a child being told a bedtime story – the focus moving purely to the action on stage. The technician becomes part of the show by the end - having funny quips with Regan and moving with her seamlessly as she jumps into new locations and stories.
The stories we heard at this particular show ranged from chilling and ghostly, to hilariously funny and relatable, to profound, political and poetic. Every show sees the first and last postcode, Acton and Walthamstow – and at this show we also heard Hammersmith, Goldhawk Road and Holloway Road, Mile End, and Clapham Junction. I could have sat there all night and gone through all of the postcodes! I am very glad to have a copy of the play text to read the stories we didn’t get to see performed this time. Though Regan references the majority of the locations in summary - giving you a taste of the hilarity, or haunting, you may have missed out on - it does seem a shame we only get to hear a fraction of what’s on offer.
The monologues work wonderfully and Regan performs them immaculately - visualising each lover, friend, or judgemental Clapham Chloe with such reality the audience questions if there is someone else standing in the emptiness. Regan occasionally jumps into the voices of other characters (a favourite being the Camden mushroom lady) which showcases her as a very talented actor as well as storyteller.
There is something so simple in what Regan has created that it works so well. When simple is executed correctly it makes for a wonderfully entertaining and successful show. Though I fear I’ve missed out on something in not hearing particular stories on the night I saw the show… that is part of ‘16 Postcodes’ uniqueness. You might find me back in the auditorium trying to get my hand up first to hear the story about West Norwood or Greenwich!!
I can see why the show did so well at the Edinburgh Fringe due to the interactive elements and certainly see why 16 Postcodes now fits very nicely into the landscape of London theatre.
You can catch 16 Postcodes at The Kings Head Theatre from 27th February – 8th March.
★★★★
