Disenfranchised, bitter, and clearly not in the right headspace to be a therapist, Totally Fine centres on a nameless mental health professional navigating her own internal battles. “Sitting on this side of the chair” is where the angle begins in this sharp, one-woman show written and starring Susanna Wolff. Developed by Speak Easy Theatre Company, with a standout vision directed by Dean Graham, founder of the Actors Yard, this is a bold new show which tackles an often scrutinous and emotionally loaded topic.
The set design captures the essence of a therapy room a little too perfectly: the eye-roll inducing Scandinavian chair, a cream centerpiece rug, a coffee table stacked with tokenistic self-help books, a bottle of water and glass, and, of course, a massive box of Kleenex tissues. It’s hard not to feel transported into what resembles a fishbowl exercise—observing a therapist trapped in someone else’s therapy room. This sense of confinement is skillfully amplified by George Turner’s creative choices in design, lighting, and stage blocking, all of which drive the story forward with precision.
One standout element of the performance is the therapist’s restless energy, pacing around the stage like a fidgety child, hopping between and uncomfortably dangling off of the chairs, and recounting increasingly alarming stories: screwing a client, tossing her work phone into the River Thames on a drunken night out, and venomously gossiping about her “soulless Sally” clients with their Lululemon activewear and “wellness Wednesdays,” where therapy slots neatly between yoga sessions and facials.
The scriptwriting is sharp, salty, and brimming with frustration, perfectly illustrating the central character’s attempts to cover something up. By competing in what feels like a personal “Moan Olympics” while mocking her clients, it becomes clear that this therapist-in-therapy isn’t just there to indulge in self-reflection or curiosity about “the other side of the one-way mirror.” She’s there because she’s spiraling, deeply flawed, and grappling with the consequences of engaging in dangerous therapeutic practices. The audience bears witness as her professional cracks widen—and it slowly dawns on her (and us) that someone behind the scenes has ratted her out.
By the end of the session—which neatly coincides with the show’s conclusion—her denial is palpable. While she insists she’s “totally fine” and just needs a “week on a beach with no phone,” the audience sees a different story. Warning signs abound as she projects a sense of control by over analysing and acting like she knows it all. The narrative that unfolds is both unsettling and thought-provoking, pushing the audience to question therapy itself.
What is your therapist thinking when you share your deepest, darkest secrets? Are they truly listening, or are they mentally clocking out? Isn’t therapy just an overpriced version of venting—something you could just as easily achieve by joining a gym and sweating it out? And if therapists are human, prone to flaws like the rest of us, why are we trusting them to fix our lives?
Totally Fine wrestles with these uncomfortable questions without being preachy, leaving the audience to connect the dots. Totally Fine brilliantly holds up a mirror (to borrow some therapy speak), offering an intimate glimpse into the secretive, often mystified world of therapeutic practice. There’s a raw, undeniable sense that making this show was deeply necessary for Wolff, and the result is both poignant and deeply entertaining. Vulnerable, humanistic, and painfully relevant, this show leaves an impact on how we view mental health, therapy, and the flawed humanity behind it all.
The show transfers to the Hen and Chickens Theatre for three nights at the end of February. If you’ve ever had thoughts about therapy and mental health, this is one show you won’t want to miss.
★★★★★ (5*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
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