Madeleine is, in writer/performer Eleanor Greene’s own words, a brat. Not in the Charlie XCX style though: she’s horribly spoilt, a bully and doesn’t have respect for anyone. Convinced that she can do no wrong, she even interrupts the show several times to reply to texts, take selfies and scroll through social media. Greene captures this energy brilliantly: one can clearly imagine the “girlboss, gatekeep, gaslight” sign hanging on Maddie’s bedroom wall.
The one-woman show consists of Maddie talking directly to the audience, talking directly about her life. Her straight A’s at school, private college admissions coach and her desirable boyfriend Braxton Dupont: whom she like, doesn’t even want anyway, it was just to stop that cow in her class from having him. Her inspirational hedge fund manager mother, whom she doesn’t see for weeks at a time. The clubs she proudly walks into, selling her youth just to get through the door. The show is full of humour, laughing at the absurdity of the ultra-rich, but every chuckle is tinged with sadness and concern.
That empathy is stretched further and further as the show progresses and we learn about her most recent ‘act of charity’. Maddie befriends the new transfer student, Maria, and tries to bring her ‘up in the world’. Giving her hand-me-downs, taking her to parties, setting her up with a desirable senior, taking her to a party where seniors hook up with freshman girls, leaving her alone with the senior. It’s only when Maria doesn’t come to school or reply to texts for a week that she starts to get concerned, and she’s forced to make choices about who or what she wants to stand for.
The laughs didn’t stop, but as the show progressed they started to give way to gasps and heavy silences, the tension building and stretching while Maddie texts to set up plans for a club night. Greene’s script and performance beautifully portray a demonic, damaged and surprisingly delicate young woman: you’ll come out not knowing whether to crucify or cry for her.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
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