REVIEW | Bloody Influencers, Barons Court Theatre
Written by Bronagh
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
Barons Court Theatre has hosted some brilliant performances recently, and is now firmly on my radar. Most recently they hosted Bloody Influencers, the story of social media influencer Daisy (born Lucija Antonija Matic and played by Ena Begovic) in her quest to become internet famous and the pitfalls that come with it.
Begovic makes a pre-show appearance as Daisy, phone in hand and ring light already lit up. She invited audience members to come and get selfies with her, which she would post if you followed her. This created a great pre-show buzz, with Begovic acting as the perfect Instagram queen it’s hard to resist her charm.
The message is clear from the get go - social media is fake. Bloody Influencers follows Daisy as her Instagram account explodes and she goes ‘super viral’. She even tries other means to take over the internet, from X to Myspace, TikTok to OnlyFans. But it’s never enough for her, and as the story moves on we begin to understand to understand Daisy’s insecurities. Daisy’s want for validation is extreme, culminating in a near fatal accident which was orchestrated for – you guessed it – attention. As she recovers in hospital she makes friends with the girl in the room next door, a ‘real’ friendship not just for Instagram, and it seems like Daisy is finally adjusting to life without her mobile phone.
We don’t really get to see anything below the surface in Bloody Influencers, and it is crying out for a more in depth portrayal and complexities in the story. Recent years have seen social media and influencers being widely criticised, the topic feels almost exhausted now. We know that a lot of social media is perhaps faked, and we rarely see the more negative parts of influencers’ lives, and so this just felt quite simple and largely predictable. I would have preferred to see a slower decline in Daisy’s internet fame, as opposed to a self inflicted accident which was rather over the top. I will say, this moment was pivotal and where the show did shine more so for me.
Begovic cannot be faulted; with brilliant comedic timing and one liners, she is a brilliant performer and writer. She took the room, and she commanded it.. Her and Ben Mansbridge’s script was actually funny in parts, plenty of dark humour, complaints about Daisy’s sex life and some eyewatering comments about the late Prince Philip. Begovic’s energy was felt throughout the small theatre space, from her dancing to Hotline Bling to her quieter, contemplative moments. Begovic’s performance was a very brave one, which I applaud her for.
The space in Barons Court Theatre was used nicely. Director Sofia Zaragoza ensured Daisy used every little bit of space in her energetic performance. Projection was used on the back wall, a great additional layer to the storytelling which went down a treat. Sound effects were also used, with the all too familiar ‘ping’ of a message received being heard throughout.
Overall Bloody Influencers was enjoyable enough and a great effort from the duo, but it really does feel like it needs some tweaks before it takes off and goes viral.
☆ ☆ ☆
