Do you have a phobia? Something that can totally debilitate your life and cause you to do some strange stuff? And would you put on a show about your fear? Well, that’s exactly what Emily Markoe has done in My Little Phobia. We follow performer and creator Emily as she tidies up her childhood bedroom. She finds lots of items that bring back a wave of childhood memories like old notebooks, costumes and her therapist, Dr My Little Pony. She lets us in to her darkest times and how she copes with her emetophobia – fear of vomiting.
Firstly, Emily Markoe is an absolute delight! She is naturally funny and witty, which feels unforced and effortless. She’s also quirky and a bit awkward which sets up for some hilarious interaction with the crowd. To give you a taster, in the beginning, Emily awkwardly fumbles around the ground rules for the performance; 1. Don’t vomit. 2. If you do, don’t do it in here. 3. Don’t talk to me ever again if you do vomit etc. We had a latecomer enter our show, so Emily politely greeted her and went through the rules once again in detail. This quirkiness adds to the layer of anxiety within the story. Emily is very good and creating a humorous atmosphere whilst also keeping her sense of dread underneath. She keeps us invested in her story and we’re along for the ride.
The Clover Studio at Riddle’s Court is one of the smallest performance spaces I’ve been in this Fringe. So walking into a show where the subject matter is vomit, I was a bit nervous to be sat so close to the stage – although Emily does promise on her poster that the show does not actually contain any vomit. With this cosiness to each other came an intimacy between us and Emily. Performing a show based entirely on this deep phobia is incredibly personally and to invite the audience in the way she has is commendable. The audience felt really connected to Emily as we went around the room and around her childhood with her.
The concept is fantastic. Her childhood bedroom represents the way we leave not only our old toys behind to sit and wait to be discovered again, we leave the memories and mental health the same way. It’s a great representation of one’s own inner turmoil and struggle with the past, as well as generational trauma and how that gets passed down the line. My only qualm is that the script could benefit from some refinement. As said previously, Emily is so naturally funny and some jokes just fell a little flat when they could have packed a punch. A few more sharp-edged jokes would elevate the material, making the show’s comedic beats more impactful.
My Little Phobia is a deeply personal journey into the fears and anxieties that shape us and hinder us – as well as a laugh out loud comedy with a psychiatrist 90’s pony doll. Emily’s talent and connection with the audience make for a show that’s both hilarious and heartfelt. It’s charming and relatable, and I hope to see more of Emily Markoe’s work in the future.
My Little Phobia is playing at 17:10 @ Riddles Court – Clover Studio Aug 15-17, 20-24.
Theatre Scotland 
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