Written and Directed by Erinn Dhesi
Written and Performed by Stef Reynolds
PUSH FESTIVAL 2025
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This solo production sees Stef Reynolds hold the stage confidently for a full length show without an interval, actively engage with her audience while also shifting props around to bring alive her childhood bedroom, her Grans’ council flat, the office she works in and trendy restaurants in the Northern Quarter. Reynolds may be delivering a show about a woman whose chaotic approach to life is rapidly unravelling at a rate that even surprises her but is clearly in total control throughout this piece. This is an accomplished performance that is memorable and highly engaging. Reynolds has great comic timing and her endearing goofiness blended with sharp observations pitched directly to the audience is a winning combo.
Hazel has grown up on a Manchester council estate and now lives in her Grans’ old flat which is actually owned by her absent brother. Elements of the narrative are confusing as an amusing trip to the council office to demand repairs on the property suggest a rented flat in her brothers name yet later in the production Hazel is losing her home as her brother is selling the flat. It’s a credit to the bouncy script by Reynolds and Erinn Dhesi (who also directs the piece) that these issues remain minor concerns. The central character seems both feisty and incredibly vulnerable. The relationship with her brother is as fractured as the main characters’childhood memories. This exploration of race, identity and burgeoning sexuality is never fully developed and at times is searingly perceptive and at others frustratingly hazy. The overall effect creates an nice snapshot of how childhood memories impact and shape how we view the world and how that impacts our understanding of the here and now.
Director Erinn Dhesi ensures there is lots of movement and action which keeps the pacing of the show feeling fresh and interesting. The pace however drops off towards the end of this 90 minute show. As new work it may benefit from a tighter edit but overall there is a lot to enjoy. As a performer Stef Reynolds really shines in the lighter moments as she has a natural comic timing and a real knack for engaging with her audience.
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