Review: SNAIL, VAULT Festival

Sylvie is confident she has it all. Her mantra is "Work hard, dream big, stay positive". She has a good job, a promotion to Deputy Headteacher on the horizon, "no fillings, no regrets, and a regular menstrual cycle". She is the woman on Instagram we all hate a little bit. She might not have a boyfriend, but she's working on it and plans to have children by 35. But the pressure of society has her in shackles and Nigel - the class pet snail - has started to speak to her.

Bebe Sanders' latest play is a naturally flowing monologue that ambles comedy and satire with brutal honesty and compelling allegory. She is effortlessly funny in a relatable tale about burnout and millennial despair. Directed by Imy Wyatt Corner, she navigates the cheery can-do attitude of a teacher while she deals - or, rather, doesn't deal - with her deteriorating mental health. Lights and sound (Catja Hamilton and Kayode Gomez respectively) come together to signify each swift dip in her state of mind as snail sex and a pupil's divorced father become her only distractions.

The script is a gem, but it has a few twists that are incohesive if not incoherent. The snail, voiced by Hayden Wood with a sultry, sensual approach, keeps beckoning Sylvie to no great result or trajectory. It adds some spice and humour, but detracts from the subject and unfocuses the ultimate goal against Cat Fuller's stunning tropical set. Houseplants line a fogged-up glass screen that simulates a tank; behind it, a neon sign and a mirrorball are the enticing visuals of Nigel's lair. It's a bit odd, but in a cool way.

All in all, Snail works. It offers a grim picture of the path ahead of many new adults who are crumbling underneath the pressures of life. It criticises the gung-ho workaholic spirit advertised everywhere by the girl bosses on their inspiring social media accounts, but - aptly - doesn't offer any comfort or guidance.

Snail runs at VAULT Festival until 5 March.

VAULT Festival has been left without a venue for next year. You can contribute to the #SaveVAULT campaign here.

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