Gloria

An exquisitely crafted rampage of familiar selfish and self-righteous wankers, Gloria pinches a long untouched nerve. Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ play is a Pulitzer finalist, and Alexander Berlage’s direction and the weight of all its creatives make this unmissable. Once isn’t enough - we’ll see it twice. 

Editorial assistants Ani (Annabel Harte), Dean (Rowan Witt) and Kendra (Michelle Ny) are all aspiring writers sharing an office in Manhattan at a magazine company. Miles (Justin Amankwah) is an intern, occupying the fourth cubicle space and the existential role of getting the three gossipers snacks from the vending machine. The action begins with Dean coming in late and hungover. Gloria (Georgina Symes) threw a party, and it seems that Dean was the only one who attended. Ani and Kendra mock him, as Gloria is the “office freak” – why would you go? Lorin (Reza Momenzada) is the fact-checker down the hall who is at the end of his tether with the noise of Ani, Dean, and Kendra. 

Each idiosyncratically ambitious, they vent their frustration at their jobs through gossip, smack talk, and small talk. Gloria has edges of the kitchen sink comedy for the contemporary age: disillusioned with the nine to five desk job, they are envious of their predecessors and self-pitying – especially Dean and Kendra. And they’re right to be – it sucks – but so do they. 

Through a sheerly unexpected turn, the play really takes shape, and we are privy to a frighteningly precise examination of selfish ambition, vicious co-option and loneliness. 

This is a near-faultless production. Every star shines, though two do oh so brightly. As Dean, Witt portrays a wormy assistant and unwieldy breakdown with utter believability. A scene in Starbucks is exhilarating from top to tail and his fretful greeting and parting with Nan (also played by Georgina Symes) is a wallop in the gut. Alongside him is the unassuming Momenzada as Lorin. Awkward, stressed and emotional, his integration into the story is genius writing, and his delivery of such a strange dramatic journey is harsh and soft and everything at once.

Justin Amankwah is versatile and frighteningly familiar – a pleasure to watch in each of three roles. Harte is perfect in each of her three roles, somehow spinning an incredible variety and range to the white-corporate-smart-pretty-girl trope. Symes is confident and captures the audience completely and Ny is electric.

The creatives who helped bring this to life, Jeremy Allen (Set Designer), Mikala Westall (Assistant Director), Veronique Benett (Design Associate), Bronte Schuftan (Stage Manager), Ellen Castles (Stage Manager) and Jeremy Waters (Producer), must be exalted too. 

Gloria is stupendous. We could watch this production again and again and again. And maybe we will.