What The F*ck Happened To Love and Hope (The Space on The Mile) | Review by Stacey Brown

What The F*ck Happened to Love and Hope is a great title. I think we’ve all pondered that question before. We follow teenager Nina and her best friend Faye who find themselves in the terrifying culture of assault and spiking. What The F*ck Happened To Love and Hope is a raw depiction of the shattering of innocence and an exploration on the impact it has on yourself and your relationships. Our two leading ladies begin the story full of excitement and silliness, laughing at text messages they’ve gotten from boys our discussing previous parties. However, on their next night out we see Nina end up walking alone after being assaulted in the bathrooms, whilst Faye gets an awful surprise when her partner takes off the condom during sex – both experiences that are unfortunately all too familiar for some.

Our two actors are fantastic. Heidi Steel delivers a remarkable performance. Her ability to change from fun-loving gal pal, to raw and emotional is commendable and moving. Olivia McGeachy demonstates an exceptional talent, both as an actress and a writer. Her writing captures the complexity of trauma and reflects the pain and confusion of her characters. There are moments where the script needs tidying up and tightened but this will be resolved naturally as McGeachy improves on her craft.

The direction by Staci Shaw, with assistant director Laura Gentile, skillfully guides the audience through the character’s journeys. From bonding moments of friendship in the classroom, to their gradual descent into isolation. The staging highlighted the growing emotional distance between the girls, as it changed from both girls on stage together to switching between both stories as the narrative unfolded,.

This production is powerful! It does not shy away or censor the harsh realities of spiking and sexual assault culture we have in this country. Mix this with a great cast, script and direction and we’ve got a performance that really packs a punch.

What The F**ck Happened To Love and Hope is playing at 10am @ theSpace on the Mile, Aug 21-24.

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/what-the-f-ck-happened-to-love-and-hope