Review: NATALIE PALAMIDES: WEER, Soho Theatre

“It’s New Year’s Eve. 1999. Y2K.”

Natalie Palamides: WEER tells the story of Mark and Christina, a couple who meet in 1996 and fall in love. We see their love story starting from the end on New Year’s Eve in 1999, using flashbacks to show how the pair became a couple and what led to their tragic end. It’s your classic 90s rom-drom (romantic dramedy), but here’s the thing that makes it a little bit different - Palamides is playing both Mark and Christina, with her costume and makeup done in halves to show each side of the couple. 

Watching Palamides perform as both Mark and Christina is truly a marvel to watch as she is able to seamlessly switch between the two to the point that one can actually see the scene playing out as though there are two performers onstage. In one impressive scene where the pair are fighting over car keys, Palamides is able to illustrate the height difference between the couple and have them get into a physical fight, taking up the stage and using both her movement and words to show the audience what is happening. 

Special mention must be given to the amount of effort that has been put into not only the set and its many props but also the costumes that have been made for Palamides in order for her to easily switch between Mark and Christina. In terms of props, everything on stage has a purpose, though sometimes it isn’t revealed into the moment it’s used, giving the audience some fun reveals. Be careful - if you sit in the first few rows, there is a high chance that you’ll be getting something thrown at or splashed on you - there is even a working shower on stage.

One of the highlights of WEER is how Palamides uses the audience to her advantage. While some may enter the show not knowing what to expect, she quickly wins them over with knowing nods to the audience, tapping on the fourth wall before shattering it later on in the show. A highlight is when she has the audience members leave “voicemails” for Mark, passing around a microphone and reacting to each voicemail on stage. Another great moment is when Palamides brings two audience members on stage to act as friends of Mark and Christina, and they get so into dancing that she breaks into laughter halfway through the scene. 

The show, in general, is fresh and exciting, but there were a few moments that grew a bit too repetitive, especially the raunchier bits. The sex jokes are great because they are fun to see Palamides act out as one person performing as two people, but once the initial laugh happens, the jokes tend to go on for longer than necessary. There were a few times when Palamides lost track of props in the show, including towards the end when the audience had to point out the location of a prop gun. Instead of getting frustrated, Palamides cracked a smile and broke character, telling the audience that she’d thrown the gun further than she normally does. 

Ultimately, Natalie Palamides: WEER is a beautifully absurd work of clowning that allows Palamides to show off her incredible talents. Whether she’s making out with herself in the shower or going wild with props, Palamides has the audience laughing while becoming surprisingly Mark and Christina’s tragic romance. 

Natalie Palamides: WEER runs until 30 November at Soho Theatre.

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