What are the ramifications of growing up in a world where success is measured by sexual, commercial, and aesthetic excess? This is the question posed by Ella Hickson, writer of Eight. It’s also the one thing holding together this disparate group of (mostly) monologues.
Despite the rather tenuous link, the stories 28-year-old Hickson’s eight Gen Ys weave are engaging and well-delivered by an equally young cast. There’s young mum Bobby, desperately trying to capture the magic of Christmas for her kids after their father has walked out on them; seventeen year old Jude, holidaying in Southern Europe and desperate for his first sexual encounter with a bewitching older woman; and Millie, an upper middle-class English patriot who also happens to be a courtesan to the extremely wealthy like her mother before her.
The production is enjoyable and entertaining, however the seating arrangements within the small Owl and the Pussycat theatre leave a little to be desired. This is not a bad choice if you’re not easily offended and in the mood for some light entertainment, but get there early to secure your place in the line for the best seats.
BY JOSH FERGEUS
