REVIEW | Bloody Elle, Lyric Theatre

★ ★ ★ ★

Reviewer - Phillip

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review

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Bloody Elle is a one woman ‘gig musical’  that takes you on a journey of self discovery, love and loss. But at its heart it is also a story of acceptance. The story follows Elle and the people around her as she starts on a course for self-exploration and how one particular relationship shapes that time in her life.

Lauryn Redding expertly takes the audience through Elle’s story as she dips in and out of a myriad of characters and caricatures. With humour, wit and charm Redding carefully guides the narrative, however never shying away from the harsh realities of a young person discovering who they are.  

Redding’s songs are powerful and punchy. They weave into the story at just the right moments. Her vocals soar while adding so much emotion to an already all too real story. 

Bryony Shanahan directs the piece with real care and class. There is nothing too placed or choreographed. Creatively, Redding’s writing and Shanahan’s direction work in tandem. In combination with the lighting design by Mark Distin Webster, sound design by Alexandra Faye Braithwaite and overall design by Amanda Stoodley, the team create a slick show which flows well from one scene to the next. 

The pacing of the action was overall good but on occasion, it did drop. I totally understand why the pace needed to slow down at times but it might benefit from an interval halfway through, allowing the show to be expanded and the story to be given the space to breathe that it quite rightly deserves. 

I would be very surprised if ‘Bloody Elle’ doesn’t have further life as it is a funny, life-affirming watch and leaves a resonant message with its audience. Life is for living authentically.