Photo credit: Shay Rowan
Written and Performed by Beth Westbrook
Directed by Imogen Dowding
NEW ADELPHI THEATRE
Manchester weather has been anything but sunny recently so a play called Sunny Girl which intriguingly claimed to be “the anti Rain Man” seemed a promising option on several levels. Playwright and Performer Beth Westbrook is a theatre graduate of Salford University so it’s nice to see this production at the New Adelphi as part of GM Fringe Festival. SUNNY GIRL was her first one woman play and was a finalist at Hope Mill Theatre’s Through the Mill Prize 2021. The subject matter is close to her heart and explores her personal experience of being neurodivergent and the difficulties she faced in getting her Autism diagnosis.
The staging is welcoming and cosy with the audience seating blending comfy armchairs with traditional theatre seating. The stage is littered with an intriguing mix of dead plants, Beanie babies plushies and My Little Ponies. There are clothes lines that deftly illustrate stages in the life of Erin from baby to adult with the pretty pink pyjamas from aborted childhood sleepovers to a Taylor Swift tshirt beloved by this superfan who got kicked out of her Uni Swifty conference for singing too loud! The staging bears striking similarities to a 2017 production Declaration by Sarah Emmott from Art With Heart which was another production about neurodivergency. Perhaps the clothes pegs are a clever allusion to those of us who navigate the world feeling like square pegs unable or unwilling to fit neat round holes.
“Erin” flits between stories from her academic struggles in childhood as the younger sister of a high achiever who is now a junior doctor to adult life where she drops out of University overwhelmed by navigating academia while having to manage daily life laundry, a boyfriend and friendships. The overwhelming theme is about resilience despite setbacks caused by high anxiety and the exhausting difficulties of trying to fit into a world that often feels alien. The refreshing aspect of this sweetly humorous production is that it’s not about bravery or discovering a useful neurodivergent superpower rather than a playful yet poignant acceptance that life can be really tough and lonely when you don’t fit into those round holes in Society.
As a writer and as a performer Westbrook refuses to shy away from the very real awkwardness she can experience. This is palpable on stage at times and both Westbrook and Director Imogen Dowding lean into this for strong effect. The result does at times impact the pacing of this one hour show but also highlights the lived experience of the writer and will resonate with many in the audience. It’s refreshing to witness this level of honesty as she literally airs her dirty laundry. There is a particularly moving moment when the loss of a much loved grandfather is blurred and confused by how much is bereavement and what is also the loss of vital routine and structure when Sunday lunches served by him are no more.
Erin’s Mind Palace is a curious place but with much to appreciate. It offers a very human experience of Autism for young females who are often exhausted by masking and camouflaging while also highlighting the serious ongoing issues around lack of SEND educational support and the chronic delays in diagnosis.
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