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★★★★
Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl follows Joanie Little (Rebecca Perry), who has just graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in anthropology after following advice from all the adults to pursue something she loved. Unfortunately there are no jobs in the whole of North America in her field, so she is stuck working in a coffee shop. The play gives us an insight into her mind as she daydreams in between serving customers.
Each person in her life is compared to an animal—her manager is a chimpanzee; Sue, a running fanatic, is a turkey because she keeps bobbing up and down, while her ex-boyfriend is a peacock, spreading his tail feathers to attract multiple female peacocks while his girlfriend stays at home, unaware of his unfaithfulness (she’s maybe still a little bit bitter). These comparisons really bring the characters alive. It’s a nice tie to her degree, and makes the play unique to other solo plays where the actor plays multiple characters.
Perry sings throughout, ranging from jazz to reimagined pop songs. She has a beautiful voice that echoes through the theatre. Having a solo performer in such a big space could be intimidating, but it doesn’t seem to faze her at all. She owns the stage, making full use of it for her animal impressions.
Joanie has a crush on Marco, one of her customers. She is giddy with happiness, her already cheery personality amping up a notch as she tries to impress him. She’s relatable and awkward at first, but she does score a date with Marco, who takes her out after the open mic night she hosts at the coffee shop. It’s perhaps a surprising place they go, but it turns out to be a sweet and thoughtful date that helps Joanie get one step closer to her dream, and adds a pleasant, unexpected twist to the story.
Perry is a bundle of joy, and it’s a pleasure to watch her perform. Her energy stays up right until the end, which is impressive considering all of the bouncing about she does! With a talented performer, an entertaining plot and a happy ending, it’s a great piece of escapist theatre.
Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl will be performed at Gilded Balloon Patter House – Doonstairs until 25 August (not 13, 20) as part of Edinburgh Fringe.
Words by Ellen Leslie
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