Review by Olivia Ruggiero
Piece of Me is a brand-new comedy, semi-cabaret and sometimes hard hitting theatre work by Claire Gaydon, starring her two childhood best friends “Chloe” and “Natalie” (Spoiler alert – I have a feeling that it’s not the real Chloe and Natalie on stage with her). Centering around her youthful Britney Spears obsession and the formation of her teenage pop band “Baby Face Bland”, Piece of Me is a work that will speak to any 90’s child.
Claire Gaydon is a wonderfully engaging performer, with a real talent for storytelling. She ropes her audience in with her charm and natural flair for the dramatic. Dressed in a Britney tank top with a very 90’s hairstyle, and butterfly clips to complete the look, she takes us on the journey of her youth. She recounts the struggles of childhood friendships, the desire that most young people have to be famous and what it is to grow up. And she does it whilst somehow managing to relate her life to Britney Spears. She is aided by the fabulous work of Yaz Zadeh & Alex Roberts who masquerade as her friends “Chloe” and “Natalie” (and occasionally Natalie’s secret love interest – DJ Andy). They are both brilliant. They contrast each other; one as the sassy Chloe who struggles with owning her sexuality, navigating the world of boys and what it is to make good choices as a teen. Young Natalie is much more innocent and unworldly, focusing on the love she has for her dog, Spangles. Both contribute to the story in a really vivacious way and play opposite Gaydon well. The three of them command the stage as a trio but also individually stand out as well. It’s fabulous casting.
The highlight of the show are the original songs composed by Gaydon, all of which have a very “Britney”/ 90’s/pop vibe to them complete with perfectly tacky choreography. Intercut with videos of Britney and the looming presence of surveillance footage everywhere the message is one that rings true. How much information do we want to share with the world and how close are we all to having our privacy completely invaded, much like Britney. It seems laughable in the moment (and the audience does laugh) but Claire makes some wonderful points about the introduction of facial recognition and data mining that goes on.
The set is well designed, and the lighting is clever to compliment the time changes and of course the pop performances that Gaydon gives. The sound design is really fun, a mix of the real and studio recorded pop music of Baby Face Bland.
This show is a real success, and highly entertaining. From start to finish it’s relatable, funny and allows you to laugh at your former childlike self, who much like Gaydon, dreamt of being a popstar. Well worth the price of a ticket, you should definitely see this fabulous show!
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