FLEABAG
On the heels of a well-deserved BAFTA win for the BBC series Fleabag, the original stage version of the show has returned to the theatres of the UK. Fleabag was originally written by, and starred, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who shot to success on the back of it – first with a wildly-applauded Edinburgh Fringe run, then a nationwide tour, and then of course, the TV series. And all this with a one-woman monologue. Her creation of the Fleabag character now has her gallivanting in Hollywood, landing a role in the upcoming Han Solo Star Wars film in which she’ll play the droid L3-37 through motion capture.
Back onstage, Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag is now embodied by Maddie Rice, who has already performed this role in its Edinburgh Fringe staging last year. The reactions to her performance were broadly positive amongst audiences, with critics noting how Rice captured that unusual sense of articulate smarts and luckless self-loathing that the play’s originator devised for the character. Fleabag is a singular character, by any estimation, so to find another woman that can personify her spirit to the same degree is exceptional.
Fleabag’s personal appeal emanates through her relatable monologues and comedic plight. Most of the characters in the show – who appear either as pre-recorded fragments or impersonated by Fleabag – are crafted in a way that makes them seem initially quite unlikeable, but over time the authenticity of the play is revealed through the honest reflection of everyday life and how we are all affected by it. Despite the palpably sombre tone of the narrative, the script is littered with brutal one-liners. Prepare yourself for a serious range of emotions to which you’ll walk out questioning the simplest of things.
Director Vicky Jones has an impressive history in the realm of theatre, with her recent play Touch completely selling out Soho Theatre in London last summer. Fleabag’s return is predicted a similar reception around the UK, and with 10 dates to take place in Cardiff there’s plenty of opportunity. RHIANNON de MEULEMESTER
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Thurs 26 Apr-Sat 5 May
Tickets: £15. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk/