Review: A NEW AND BETTER YOU, Yard Theatre

"Drink this, it'll make you less bloated."

"Eat this, it doesn't taste nice but it's good for you."

"Swallow this, it's got all the vitamins you need for the day."

Everyday we're told to do better. Whether it is about our size, skin texture or lifestyle, society provides constant reminders that we're not good enough, and actively encourages us to try something new.

Maybe it's a new pill acting as a supplement, or that drink that's become the latest trend because a celebrity has endorsed it. Sitting on the tube writing there are so many posters I'm surrounded by, which advertise the latest product that'll make me 'well.'

"Arrived in four hours and I was flying that night. Brilliant - won't go anywhere else!"

"I take this to support my health and hectic lifestyle."

Each ad makes lots of promises, but where's the truth in it all? A New and Better You, currently playing at The Yard Theatre, interrogates the notion of human pressure and perceptions of beauty. It's a story of transformation that looks at how a person can change from sedentary to sexy.

Saffron Coomber begins the play with an extra-long monologue, where she points out everything wrong with her client. She smells, wears oddly shaped clothes and looks pretty ordinary. It's not good enough and providing a call to action, Coomber lists the necessary steps to take to become magnificent.

She must put on a nice dress, wear hair extensions, get on the treadmill and drink lots of coconut water. Are these the secrets to success? That's what we're told in Cheryl Gallagher's production. The play follows this pattern throughout; even after the transformation has occurred we're still served more monologues preaching about how this new way of living is superior.

And they're all delivered brilliantly. No one can fault the cast's ability to handle text. Beth Well's design sees a sandpit decorate the stage, and Jess Bernberg's lighting gives the sense that we're on some utopian planet. There are some interesting moments dispersed in between that break this homogeneous pattern. An extended clapping sequence seems to go on forever - it's entertaining yet somewhat tedious.

Whilst some of the choreography is an enjoyable distraction from the dialogue, the production lacks clarity on what it wishes to say. Joe Harbot's play is an interesting idea, but his writing is very conceptual. The production remains at this level and lacks a sense of grounding. And for this reason, as an audience it's tricky to get behind it.

This piece has a lot of things to say; it's importance I'm not too sure. Regardless of this fact, what it hasn't found yet is an effective way to put across the majority of its points.

A New and Better You at The Yard Theatre until 14 July

Photo credit: Helen Murray

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