Random Selfies - A show perfectly orchestrated for the Younger Generation.

I have always been a believer in the importance of theatre being accessible. Everyone of any age, gender or race should be able to enjoy and experience theatre. That’s the true beauty of the arts. So when I heard about the premise for Random Selfies, I was very intrigued.

Random Selfies tells the story of Lola, who’s life - like most young people, is consumed by social media. As she tries to make friends with the new girl at school, Lola learns of the true meaning of being alone and the importance of liking yourself for who you are. A one woman show combined with animation was certainly an interesting choice and I was fascinated to see how it would work.

Despite being directed specifically for the young demographic of around 7 to 13 years, myself and my Mum both really enjoyed the piece. I loved the innocence and naivety of Lola as well as her relationship with the other characters, such as Mrs Thing and Maya. The show felt young, but not so young that it was uncomfortable to watch as an adult.

Christina Ngoyi led the one-woman show wonderfully, bringing character and charm as well as a welcoming warmth from the moment she first stepped on stage. Her ability to seamlessly change characters during conversation was commendable and she really held her own, performing solidly for the entire 60 minute run time of the show.

The set design of the show was also very clever, making Lola’s room the core focus, even when Lola’s location changed. Her messy pink room seemed very age appropriate and really showcased Lola’s personality. It kept within the theme of loneliness, having one actress perform the show within the confines of the bedroom.

One element which I wish had been used more was the animation. I was really excited to see how animation (illustrated by Rachana Jadhav) would be integrated into the play - and for the most part, it was effective when it was used. When Lola was using her phone, all the animations were really useful and helped to communicate what Lola was experiencing without her saying a word. However, especially in the second half of the piece, it felt like the animation wasn’t used as much. I would be interested to see the animation used more in scenes involving Mrs Thing or the party scene, however the performance was enjoyable despite this.

I also wish that music had a more prominent role in the show. With it being a one woman show, it is understandable that there would be small pauses and pulls so that Christina would be able to keep a steady pace. However, when there were small pauses, the piece felt like it paused. I think this could have been fixed with some underlying music played underneath more of the scenes. However, I can see how this might have been a directorial choice to make the piece feel more isolated and secluded. Despite this, from an audience experience, it felt like music was under-utilised.

Overall, I really enjoyed Random Selfies. Owen Calvert-Lyons has directed a useful learning tool for children in order to start discussions about loneliness. However I think it also has a purpose for adult audiences as well - to remind us how how big our problems feel when we’re so young, and give us more empathy for young people.

I would like to wish Random Selfies a successful run at Ovalhouse (20th March - 6th April 2019).

To See Or Not To See? To See!

Star Rating: **** 4 Stars

Images provided are courtesy of The Other Richard.