Totally Fine, Hope Theatre Review
Written by Greta for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
How many times have you tried to convince someone that you’re totally fine when you’re really not? How does this equation complicate when you’re a therapist in a therapy session? These are two of the questions at the core of Totally Fine – a dark comedy infused with loneliness and denial.
In this one-woman show, written and performed by Susanna Wolff, we are immediately confronted with a protagonist unable and unwilling to express and process her feelings. The persona she puts up as a result – arrogant, defensive, and judgemental – markedly clashes with the profession she fiercely clings to, losing a significant chunk of her own identity in her work.
As her façade starts to crumble, we get to meet some of the therapist’s patients and to relive with her some significant moments of her recent life; it’s in these moments of vulnerability that the show finds its distinctive tone and pace, noticeably improving after a less compelling first part. Wolff beautifully renders the consuming ache that comes with the absence of meaningful connections; her character’s loneliness strikes raw and delicate chords. Dean Graham’s direction is smooth in terms of blocking and pacing, slightly less when it comes to tech choices; I particularly appreciated how well silences and pauses were directed and performed, allowing the material to resonate.
Mental health workers are often unsung heroes; I’m in constant awe of their self-awareness, unthinkable schedules, and professional integrity. This production clearly wants to shine a light on the person behind the psychologist – the humanness, vulnerability and struggles of those who patiently sit in front of you, never judging, helping you on your path. There is a risk of perpetuating the false and harmful stereotype of the therapist’s role being similar to the one of a friend, whose work is to listen, nod, and occasionally empathise, but who is at risk of zoning out and letting the patients do all the work for them. I’ve not found this, in my experience, to be true; it’s rare to meet a mental health professional devoid of profound and sincere care towards their patients and inclined to judge or blame them, even under incredible duress. I like to think that therapy at its best is a partnership, a reciprocal human alliance that allows both sides to learn and grow. Developing the production so as to show more clearly the skills, resources, and hard work that therapists bring to their sessions – would, in my opinion, amplify the production’s message even more.
Overall, Totally Fine is an enjoyable, moving, and thought-provoking watch, once it hits its stride. Take it with a pinch of salt, though: your therapist is most definitely not shaming you behind your back.
★ ★ ★