Review: HARM, Bush Theatre

The Bush Theatre has reopened its doors with a timely exploration of social media and the negative impact it can have on our wellbeing. We've all been forced to spend far more time on our home computers, and social media can be a consuming distraction we perhaps lean on too much. A hiding place for trolls, this modern-day phenomenon has also bred an unhealthy culture of craving as many "likes" and "follows" as possible.

Written by Bruntwood Prize-winner Phoebe Eclair-Powell, Harm tells the story of an unhappy estate agent who sells a house to Alice, a charismatic social media influencer. The two strike up an unlikely friendship. But when our unnamed protagonist grows increasingly infatuated with her client, the lines between online and reality become dangerously blurred. With her unhealthy obsession for serial killer documentaries and discontentment at her job, she gradually decsneds into murky depths. Exploring the dangers of being able to hide behind a computer screen, the play also focuses on the negative impact of social media as well as mental health and isolation.

Kelly Gough portrays the estate agent with a brooding intensity, while also playing several other unseen characters. We are invited into her complex and contradictory world and never leave her grip until the closing moments of this 70-minute monologue. The result is a captivating and multifaceted portrayal of a seriously flawed and bitter woman plagued by insecurity.

Craving Alice's friendship yet at the same time wanting to destroy her via an online chat room lends a darkness to proceedings, but Eclair-Powell injects just the right amount of black comedy. Atri Banerjee's assured direction allows the pace to flow well and offers appropriate pauses for reflection before driving the intoxicating narrative forward.

A simple yet memorably surreal set, courtesy of Rosanna Vize, consists of a giant stuffed rabbit, which towers over the stage. The visual evokes the sense that our narrator is hiding and isolated from the world. It also emphasises the theme of what is real and what is fantasy as our protagonist is consumed by an ever-dominant online persona that clouds her true personality.

A reminder of just how powerful the artform can be, and how much so many of us have missed it, this thought-provoking play proves that out of the pandemic creative and original voices have nonetheless emerged strongly. It feels good to be back.

Harm at The Bush Theatre until 26 June

Photo Credit: Isha Shah

To post a comment, you must register and login.