At risk of stating the obvious, toxic masculinity has always been a problem. It’s reared its ugly head in many ways throughout the years, but its latest form may be one of its most insidious yet. Incels (Involuntary celibates) simultaneously have copious amounts of self loathing, burning resentment against the so called ‘chads’ of the world, and a twisted view of women as both the perpetrator of crimes against them and objects to be conquered.
Online echo chambers such as 'Reddit' and the ‘Manosphere’ pull their followers deeper and deeper into the depths, and very few of them get the support they need to pull them
out before its too late. Writer Holly Sewell has given us a compelling story, well-researched and accessible to those with no knowledge of this dark corner of the world. The story opens with a viral video of James (Max Jordan) talking about how he laments his virginity and how he’ll do anything it takes to change that, taking his future into his own hands. James lives with his mum Anna (Georgia Brooke-Hitching) and sister Sasha (Bonnie McGhee), and the relationship between the three is well portrayed and believable: they all care about each other, but none of them are quite able to connect and open up.
Sasha is also exploring her own identity as a lesbian, with the help of her supportive and confident girlfriend Kit (Axe Mungersdorf). Her growth as the story goes on is a stark contrast to James’ downward spiral: but the underlying sibling love James and Sasha share is visible in every scene, even as it’s pushed to breaking point and beyond.
James’ arc isn’t just a one-note condemnation though, as we see him struggle to seek help even as his family tries to reach out, his echo chambers and self-hatred trapping him at every turn. Interspersed through the play are narrated Reddit posts projected on the back screen, each of which relates to the scenes directly proceeding it. The voiceover pushes these into more of a comedic direction, sweet spots between the heavier topics, which is slightly at odds with their horrific contents: a shortcut to get the audience to recognise the absurdity for what it is, even as we see the effects play out in devastating fashion on the characters.
A tense and realistic exploration of finding ones identity and two very different directions it could go in, Fix Your Mind is a great introduction to these subjects and a gripping but sad story in its own right.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
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