‘Do you feel real?’ ‘How would I know?’ ‘That’s a good point.’
A character enters the space. He has a role to play, lines to say; he knows his objective. Then a shattering realisation splits his world apart, forcing him to question everything.
If this isn’t Eden then where the Hell am I? is a genre-defying meta-comedy. Weaving together surrealism, personal drama and philosophy, this mind-bending play takes influence from Charlie Kaufman, Annie Baker, Tom Stoppard and Ella Hickson to create a theatrical landscape which is profound, funny and unsettling.
It’s about the weirdness and intensity of a rehearsal room. The illusive magic of acting. The heartbreak and elation that goes into writing and directing. It’s about unrequited love, and the loss of innocence, and trying to carve your own path in spite of a world that wants to control, condition and repress you.
Feedback from an earlier version of the play:
“This is a sophisticated piece. Silly and absurd but very complex and smart. It was constantly establishing rules but breaking them and creating new ones. We were able to follow these new rules, regardless of so many different genres and twists. [It was] dangerous in a good way. Unsettling at times which kept us on our toes. Characters were completely believable but nuanced… A privilege to watch.”
“I loved it. It felt fresh and well thought through from start to finish. The story itself was great, the weaving and absurdity with comedy and drama.”
“I’ve never felt so happy being uncomfortable. The atmosphere was electric. From putting the audience slightly off kilter at the beginning, to completely obliterating the boundary between performance and reality, and all the steps in between, the precision at which the sequence of events unfurls is masterful, and quite frankly left me with my jaw on the floor.”
Please be advised that this performance contains scenes of violence and drug use.
Reckless Optimism is a brand new women-led theatre company, championing queer, neurodivergent and working-class talent both on and off stage.
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