Lotte Rice, an actress and spoken word artist performs a one woman show about a young lady named Abbie’s life, love and loss. It is beautifully poetic and told with touching expression, and heart-aching emotion.
Singer, songwriter and activist Nina Simone has always played a huge part in Abbie’s life, Nina Simone was her grandmother’s idol and she grew up inspired by her music. Drawing on her soulful songs, the production begins with Rice showcasing her stellar vocals as she sings along to Simone’s classics. Nina Simone’s music brings the piece to life, each song fits into the show immaculately, giving power to the performance.
Abbie’s relationship with her grandma is tender which is displayed as she speaks fondly of their memories together. Performed as a monologue, Rice embodies all of the characters she interacts with throughout her story, perfectly articulating a thick Irish accent as she conveys the warmth of her grandma.
When her grandma begins to lose her memory, you can literally see the fear in Rice’s eyes as she speaks of the distance that grows between their close bond. As her grandma deteriorates, this is reflected in Abbie’s life as she slowly starts to emotionally crumble.
The language of the piece is what makes it so breathtaking, the flickers of rhyme provide an engaging pace to the performance. As each word moulds together, the lines are sublimely crafted together to create a flow of emotion. Rice’s performance is honest and raw, she connects deeply to the emotional core of the piece and conveys it so naturally, it is utterly engaging.
Between the moments of heartbreak, interjections of humour add to Rice’s flawless characterisation. The script itself is written excellently. The dialogue is fresh, punchy and brave, as it tackles the inner workings of Abbie’s mind, portraying the intensity of her thoughts
Exactly Like You is a moving piece of theatre performed with immense heart and soul.
**** 4 Stars
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Tickets can be found here.
2 comments
Sounds very emotional