You’re So Special at Soho Theatre, Dean Street London Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Debbie Kingsland
Julia Grogan who wrote and plays in You’re So Special is an accomplished playwright and screenwriter from the Midlands. Julia’s debut play, PLAYFIGHT, won the ETPEP Award 2020, and was shortlisted for the Papatango Award,
The play is about Miss June who is a dance teacher and performer whose dreams of stardom are slowly fading away with only a future of teaching little ones. Her main job is teaching ballet classes to young children in an old and dilapidated village hall, but her dreams of becoming a star and showing the world her talents and dancing ability were always uppermost in her thoughts, and it appears she would stop at nothing to achieve her ambition although maybe not in the most obvious ways.
She gets a final opportunity to appear on a television talent show. Despite this being her final shot at stardom and personal fame. Unfortunately, the outcome was not the one she wanted with the show falling through at the last minute. She refused to let it go and attempted to pursue her dreams and one last attempt by using the children’s ballet performance to shine and show her worth after finding out that one of her young dance students’ parents who would be attending the show could be her opportunity.
The opening of the show starts with Julia (Miss June) appearing naked on stage whilst she was getting ready for another uneventful day. The nakedness was a little bit of a shock for the audience, but I think it set the scene for the rest of the show. She was quite amazing to watch; one woman owning the stage, quite literally. Julia (Miss June) took you through a roller-coaster of emotions; laughter, sadness, hopefulness (And lack of) happiness and darkness.
It was quite uncanny that one woman on stage could create the feeling of a stage full of people. Through her articulate and passionate acting and expressions you actually thought that the individuals she was addressing throughout were on stage with her. The fact that the theatre we were in was very small and intimate so you could see every move and expression on her face.
It wasn’t what I was expecting the show to be however I definitely wasn’t disappointed and it left me feeling like I’d be keen to go and see another of her one-man band performances.
Rating: 5/5
Venue – Soho Theatre
This theatre also has a sister Theatre in Walthamstow too.
Location 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE
There is a bar that serves a range of drinks and food.
Accessibility – There are lifts and access for wheelchairs and they also have assistance for those with visual and hearing disabilities. It’s probably worth contacting the venue in advance as the theatre can be quite chaotic both for bar and lift access.
Nearest station – Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Circus.
Buy tickets here – https://sohotheatre.com/events/youre-so-special/
OR call the box office on 020 7478 0100.
Show dates – 4th September – Saturday 26th September.
Show times – 18:45 – 70 minutes with no interval.
Ticket prices – from £19 – £25 – Discounted tickets for students, seniors and unwaged.
Age – Strictly 18+ (contains nudity, references to mental health, violence and bereavement)