Deftly straddling comedy and tragedy, Fleabag invites us into the life of a hypersexual twenty-something Londoner struggling to keep her guineapig themed cafe afloat as she bobs and weaves her way through a maze of grief in the wake of her best friend's accidental suicide. (Also, she's just been dumped after her boyfriend got upset about her having "a horrible wank" to a video of Barack Obama while he was trying to sleep. But she's not too worried about that just yet.)
Writer/actor Phoebe Waller-Bridge's award-winning one-woman show comes to Sydney Festival off the back of the runaway success of the critically acclaimed BBC TV series adaption. If you've already jumped on the series bandwagon, you'll know Fleabag means dry-wit, promiscuity and small furry pets.
The Australian stage debut brings all the promised filth, hilarity, and unflinching dramatic punches. Actor Maddie Rice takes the reigns from Waller-Bridge as the titular Fleabag (a name that is never mentioned or explained) and absolutely nails it, having also taken on the role for the acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe run. This modern anti-heroine is crass, self-serving and both outrageous and authentic all at once.
Waller-Bridge's unconventional ingenue is glorious on the screen, however the chance to see the original play as intended is an absolute treat. With nothing more than a solitary stool on stage, under the direction of Vicky Jones (co-founder of DryWrite), Fleabag is stripped back to its raw parts, a testament to the power of a well-crafted monologue.
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As the depth and range of the female characters we see portrayed on stage and screen continues to evolve, Fleabag is a breath of fresh air in the arena of self-depreciating, sexually ambitious, funny-sad millennial characters. The story manages to take a gentle jab at the contradictions rife in modern feminist discussion without getting too offside. The audience is also invited to question the nature of promiscuity, the "grey area" between seeking validation from others and from within.
Fleabag loves having a drink and a laugh and will go to town on a "slutty pizza" ("the bitch was dripping!"). She'll recount the quirks of her best friend with the purest affection, and can't help but push her uptight sister's buttons for sport. She loves the drama and performance of a sexual escapade, but she only ever seems to climax when she's getting the job done herself. She's a broken person just trying to get by and find some release. She's just eccentric enough to be believable. You probably know a Fleabag.
