I feel like I was a bit late to the Fleabag party.
I knew it existed, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge was a name I was seeing everywhere, but I didn’t watch it – not even for any particular reason, but it was just one of those things that passed me by.
However, when one of my biggest loves, Andrew Scott, joined the cast for series 2, it mysteriously appeared on my radar and I just had to watch it. And I am so glad I did! It’s such a great show with a perfect blend of humour, darkness, serious events, and things that make you cringe at how much you find yourself relating to Waller-Bridge’s character.
(If you haven’t seen the show yet, I definitely recommend you watch it right now. It’s so easy to fly through! You can find it on BBC iPlayer if you’re in the UK.)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge started the Fleabag story as a one-woman stage show. I think it became well-known from Edinburgh Fringe, and then it went on to have a longer run in London’s West End. After playing to sold-out audiences in London and New York, the show is being screened in cinemas all around the UK. Here’s a description of the show from Cineworld:
See the hilarious, award-winning, one-woman show that inspired the BBC’s hit TV series Fleabag, broadcast live to cinemas from London’s West End. Written and performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve) and directed by Vicky Jones, Fleabag is a rip-roaring look at some sort of woman living her sort of life. Fleabag may seem oversexed, emotionally unfiltered and self-obsessed, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. With family and friendships under strain and a guinea pig cafe struggling to keep afloat, Fleabag suddenly finds herself with nothing to lose.
I didn’t know what to expect from the show at all. I knew it was like one giant monologue and that the TV series was based on it, so I had a rough idea of the story. But in terms of how it’d be set up, how the story would be told, etc – I had no idea.
The stage is the simplest it could possibly be: just a single stool right in the centre where Waller-Bridge sits, with a spotlight shining on her. She tells the story almost like a stand-up routine but with impeccable acting. The speed that she switches between witty and upbeat to somber and dark is incredible.
She also managed to portray so many different characters that Fleabag comes into contact with, and some of her voices and facial expressions had some people laughing so much they were in tears.
To help the story along, a number of sound effects are used. It’s mad how just a simple sound effect can help you picture exactly what she’s describing, and helps add a whole new depth to the story. One part I think of in particular is the part with the injured guinea pig… if you’ve seen the show, you’ll know which part I mean. shudders
If you’re a fan of the TV series, you should definitely try and see the show if it’s screened again near you. Even if you’ve never seen the TV show, it’s still highly recommended if you love incredible storytelling with a giant dose of witty humour thrown in.
To find out more about the show or see if Fleabag is being shown in a cinema near you, click here to go to the National Theatre Live website.
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